1
as in whipping
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
students at the private school were once routinely birched for violating the rules
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in licking
to strike repeatedly
always a stern disciplinarian, our father birched anyone who talked back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for birching
Verb
-
The cold weather shouldn’t be a huge factor unless the wind starts whipping.—
Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
-
The wind was whipping throughout Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, that day, which had a massive impact on the kicking game.—
Verb
-
Other photos showed Owen proudly licking the faces of his owners and getting some hugs and pats from the reality star, her husband and children.—
-
The Chocolate Brownie Batter flavor was my first try, mostly because any brand that claims something tastes like licking brownie batter off the spoon must be challenged.—
Verb
-
The couple — who are now one of the most watched of the season thanks to their double awards show appearances — were not shy about hiding their romance amidst the stars at the 2026 Golden Globes.—
-
Laundry Machines Both your washing machine and dryer can be used to stow laundry, as well as other items that need hiding.—
Verb
-
Despite his mediator role, Rodríguez is also known for his explosive temperament, lashing out in Congress and publicly threatening and insulting members of the opposition.—
-
Trump spent most of 2025 downplaying the significance of the files, at times lashing out against Republicans who demanded the release of information about other potential perpetrators.—
Verb
-
Russia has been pounding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with drones and missiles in recent weeks, a tactic used in previous winters.—
-
But those massive events aren’t the only way for fans to experience the heart-pounding thrills and sense of community that only live sports can deliver.—
Verb
-
Cut spending by slashing state programs?—
-
These include terminating or suspending contracts with private providers and slashing supplemental aid previously available to foster families.—
Verb
-
Others have called out the boring marketing campaign based around flogging variants in order for Swift to finally beat the record for the biggest opening sales week for a female artist in history (currently held by Adele, which she is likely projected to break).—
-
The only thing tougher to watch than the Bengals’ offense on Sunday was Browning flogging himself over the failure.—
Verb
-
After a harrowing and deadly Christmas Eve in California with rescues and evacuations amid widespread flooding and debris flow threats, another storm is battering the state Christmas Day, with more expected into Friday.—
-
Her 2018 video Hammer and Nail showed the battering head of a hammer crashing down repeatedly atop a nail in a plank of wood, the metal shard seeming to disappear into the frame with the last stroke.—
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Birching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/birching. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share