| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | punish, beat |
| Synonyms: | assail, attack, berate, blister, bludgeon, castigate, censure, criticize, cudgel, denounce, excoriate, flay, flog, hammer, hit, lash into, pan, pelt, pound, pummel, rake over the coals, read the riot act, rebuke, reprimand, rip into, roast, scathe, scold, scorch, scourge, shellac, slam, slap, slash, smear, smother, strike, thrash, trim, upbraid, wallop, whip |
| Antonyms: | praise, uphold |
| Main Entry: | baste |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | pummel, thrash |
| Synonyms: | batter, beat, berate, blister, clobber, club, drub, lambaste, lash, maul, pelt, revile, scold, trounce, wallop, whip, whomp |
| Main Entry: | batter |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | strike and damage |
| Synonyms: | assault, bash, beat, break, bruise, buffet, clobber, contuse, cripple, crush, dash, deface, demolish, destroy, disable, disfigure, drub, hurt, injure, lacerate, lambaste, lame, lash, mangle, mar, maul, mutilate, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punish, ruin, shatter, smash, thrash, wallop, wreck |
| Main Entry: | beat |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | injure by striking |
| Synonyms: | bang, bash, bat, batter, belt, box, break, bruise, buffet, cane, castigate, clout, club, collide, crush, cudgel, drub, flagellate, flail, flog, hammer, hit, knock, lambaste*, lash, lick*, maltreat, mash, maul, pelt, pound, pummel, punch, punish, ram, rap, slap, slug, smack, spank, strike, swat, thrash, thresh, thump, thwack, trounce, wallop, whale, whip |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, guard, help, protect |
| Main Entry: | best |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | defeat; gain advantage |
| Synonyms: | KO, beat, beat up, better, blank*, blast*, bulldoze, clobber, conquer, cream*, deck, drub, exceed, excel, flax, floor*, get the better of, knock off, lambaste, let have it, lick*, master, outclass, outdo, outshine, outstrip, overcome, prevail, put away, shoot down, shut down, surpass, take care of, take down, tan*, thrash*, top, total, transcend, trash*, triumph, triumph over, trounce, wallop, waste*, wax, whip*, whomp, whop, wipe out, wipe the floor with, wipe, zap |
| Antonyms: | give up, lose, relent, surrender |
| Main Entry: | castigate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize severely |
| Synonyms: | baste, bawl out, beat, berate, blister, cane, censure, chasten, chastise, chew out, come down on, correct, criticize, discipline, drag over the coals, dress down, drub, excoriate, flay, flog, jump down one's throat, lambaste, lash, lay out, lean on, penalize, pummel, punish, rail, rate, read the riot act, ream, rebuke, reprimand, scarify, scathe, scold, scorch, scourge, thrash, tongue-lash, upbraid, whip |
| Antonyms: | compliment, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | clobber |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hit, beat |
| Synonyms: | belt, blast, drub, lambaste*, lick, shellac, slam, slug, smash, smear, smother, thrash, trim, wallop, whip |
| Main Entry: | criticize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disapprove, judge as bad |
| Synonyms: | animadvert on, bash, blame, blast, blister, carp, castigate, censure, chastise, chide, clobber, come down on, condemn, cut down, cut to bits, cut up, denounce, denunciate, disparage, do a number on, dress down, excoriate, find fault, fluff, fulminate against, fustigate, give bad press, hit, jump on, knock*, lambaste*, nag at, nit-pick, pan, pick at, rap, reprehend, reprimand, reprobate, reprove, rip*, roast, scathe, scorch*, skin alive, skin*, slam*, slog, slug, take down, trash*, trim*, zap |
| Antonyms: | approve, compliment, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | defeat |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | conquer in athletic contest |
| Synonyms: | KO, beat, bust, clobber, cream*, deck, drop*, drub, edge, flax, flog, floor*, knock out, lambaste*, lick, outhit, outjump, outplay, outrun, overpower, plow under, pommel, pound*, powder, pulverize, run roughshod over, skin*, steamroll, take, take it all, take to cleaners, tan*, thrash, total, trounce, wallop, whack, whomp, win, work over, zap |
| Notes: | decimate means to kill or destroy in large numbers; defeat means to win a victory over or to beat |
| Antonyms: | give up, lose, surrender |