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
  • 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
  • Catcher Daniel Susac followed up Wednesday’s two-home-run game by smacking a two-run shot, and the Giants bullpen didn’t break down while protecting a 4-1 victory.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of smacking
Verb
  • At the weigh-ins and face-off for the IBF heavyweight championship fight, Itauma shoved Hrgovic off the stage and the latter retaliated by slapping the former's face.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Already, Skubal’s joining in on pregame handshake lines and slapping the dugout railing in time to Roki Sasaki’s warm-up music.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of slapping
Verb
  • He was stripped of his heavyweight title, barred from boxing for more than three years and convicted of draft evasion.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • But for Gonzales, the gym has always been about more than boxing.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of boxing
Verb
  • His first came after he was released down the flank by Semenyo, carrying the ball forward before chopping inside and hammering a shot straight at Nick Pope.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Florida chef Elijah Button was chopping onions in June when his knife slipped and sliced his middle finger to the bone.
    — Ali Swenson, Fortune, 25 Aug. 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
  • Cook will be remembered for making the iPhone feel essential to everything from buying a coffee to listening to music, hitting the gym or paying a credit card bill.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Crow-Armstrong’s 38 blasts are tied with Kyle Schwarber (2019) for second-most by a left-handed-hitting Cub.
    — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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