tanning

verb

Definition of tanningnext
present participle of tan
1
as in hiding
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible Grandpa told us that when he was a kid, if he misbehaved at all, his father would tan his backside with a belt

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in licking
to strike repeatedly a time when children were routinely tanned for misbehavior

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of tanning In the smoking room, the Gamonéus were lined up neatly on shelves, gently tanning in the smoke from a fire smoldering in the corner. — Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026 Experts are concerned about a resurgence in the popularity of tanning among young adults as social media has helped tanning in general make a comeback. — Jaimie Ding, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026 But will the new ingredient win the trust of Make America Healthy Again skeptics and Gen Zers intentionally tanning? — Michael Scaturro, Miami Herald, 15 June 2026 Tanning beds are not a safer option than tanning outside. — Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 12 June 2026 Alternatively, Evans suggests using a moisturizer on those areas before tanning to create a barrier so less self-tanner can penetrate. — Deanna Pai, Glamour, 6 June 2026 Other myths, such as how tanning your perineum can boost energy and balance hormones, or how eliminating seed oils from your diet will protect you from the sun, have also fed into Gen Z tanning culture. — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026 Peters has also mentioned taking Melanotan II, which facilitates tanning without the use of sunlight. — Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026 Market projections expect the self-tanning category to reach $315 million by 2030. — Tori Crowther, Allure, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tanning
  1. hiding
  2. licking
  3. whipping
  4. pounding
  5. slashing
  6. lashing
  7. switching
  8. doing
Verb
  • The trio were found hiding in a ditch about 200 yards from where they were pulled over, according to the news release.
    — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026
  • After six months of war, the deadlock has left the Islamic Republic bitterly divided, while its ultimate arbiter, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, remains in hiding.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • One act featured two young women sitting on the stage and licking orange Popsicles (yes, that was the whole act).
    — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Owners should also watch for licking that is sudden, persistent or severe enough to cause hair loss or skin damage.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of licking
Verb
  • Whisk with ¾ cup whole milk and use in any sweet recipe that doesn’t require whipping.
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2026
  • At the landing zone, with bullets whipping and cracking around them, Capers—barely clinging to consciousness—refused to board the helicopter until every last man, and his dog’s body, was aboard.
    — Ethan Rocke, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of whipping
Verb
  • When your pounding headache is the result of alcohol (or a stomach virus), a pain reliever alone will not fix the problem.
    — Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Sarajevans still remember his commands to the Serb gunmen pounding the Bosnian capital in early 1992.
    — Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of pounding
Verb
  • The startup anticipates slashing its AI token spend by 75%, from $15-20 million to $4-5 million annually, as a result of the AI ban policy.
    — Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Retailers are slashing their sizing in the GLP-1 era, both in physical stores and online.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of slashing
Verb
  • Vinicius Jr started each of Brazil’s five matches at the World Cup and played a starring role in the group stage, lashing in an excellent goal against Morocco, scoring and assisting against Haiti, and adding a brace against Scotland.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Lala weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm Sunday after lashing the state without making landfall.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of lashing
Verb
  • He was recruited out of high school as a wide receiver before switching to defensive back, and his pass-catching background gives him an edge tracking the ball.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Physicists have found a way to stabilize a system without sensors or feedback, by switching between two instabilities at the right tempo.
    — Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of switching
Verb
  • While doing so has helped millions of individuals access the power of electronics, the shrinking size of transistors is presenting problems at mass manufacturing scales.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Alicia McCalla, 56, a fiction writer who has been doing voice work for five years out of her home in Atlanta, decided to ignore union suggestions and clone her voice.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of doing

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Cite this Entry

“Tanning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tanning. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tanning

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tanning

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