caning

verb

present participle of cane
as in spanking

Related Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for caning
  1. flagellating
  2. smacking
  3. slapping
  4. boxing
  5. chopping
  6. thwacking
  7. whacking
  8. hitting
Verb
  • Some go further, flagellating themselves or using a sword to strike their forehead to draw blood.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
  • His only way of finding any kind of life for himself is to embrace evil, to stop running away from it, to try to stop morally flagellating himself.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026
Definition of flagellating
Verb
  • But Varma and Shivam Dube (27) upped the ante in the final three overs by smacking 57 runs against Sufyan Moqim, Ayub and Ahmed Daniyal.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Carrington was ejected from the game in the first half after smacking Cunningham across the face during Cunningham's layup attempt.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of smacking
Verb
  • Hochman said the nannies were caught on video spanking, slapping or hitting the children.
    — News Editor, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Residents have reported paying excessive amounts to retrieve their vehicles from tow yards, with companies sometimes slapping extra fees on drivers who contact the police, according to council members.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of slapping
Verb
  • Adam Rodriguez as Ruben Chapa, a trainer at the local El Centro boxing gym.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Eubank Jr was seven years older than Benn, five years further into his professional career and, more pertinently, boxing at middleweight, three weight classes higher than super-lightweight Benn.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of boxing
Verb
  • Some of the skulls also showed signs of sharp-force trauma, including signs of chopping to one of the skull’s eyes.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
  • One employee was chopping ginger while sitting on the floor; another, preparing chapatis with a rolling pin, was wearing shorts.
    — Zishaan a Latif, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of chopping
Verb
  • Modern readers may take heart in the fact that there are many excellent critics thwacking through the slop—albeit with freelance machetes, on newfangled platforms.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Max Weinberg sat at his set, thwacking his floor tom, while Lahav fiddled with his dials, stalked into the studio to unplug, replug, and then just physically move the microphone closer to the set, then to the side, and then farther away.
    — Peter Ames Carlin, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025
Definition of thwacking
Verb
  • There are frightening stories of swordfish charging boats, and even spearing their transoms and whacking propellers.
    — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Yes, there were moments of humor, such as getting magic potions around the campfire at the end of each stage by whacking helpless little elves, but most of it was played straight, to great effect.
    — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of whacking
Verb
  • Opponents worry that the changes would mean less money getting invested in rural housing, precisely when housing affordability issues are hitting those areas the hardest.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The look is solid, smart, elegant, hitting a summer sweet spot that means guests come back again and again.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of hitting
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.

Browse Nearby Words

canines
caning
canister
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Caning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caning. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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