shellackings
Brutal one-sided losses
Shellackings is the plural of shellacking, a thorough defeat or beating.
The word comes from shellac, a resin finish—to shellac something is to coat it completely, and a shellacking leaves someone completely overcome: The team took a shellacking in the playoffs.
The term appears in sports and politics to describe lopsided losses.
Severe beatings or defeats
- beatingsStrikes delivered repeatedly
- drubbingsOverwhelming defeats or beatings
- trouncingOverwhelming defeat
- routsDecisive, overwhelming defeats
blowouts · whippings · crushing · demolition · annihilation · humiliation · landslide · massacre
Decisive one-sided wins
- shutoutsVictories allowing no scores
- routsDecisive, overwhelming defeats
- mercy ruleThreshold ending uneven contests
- lopsidedUnequally balanced
scoreboard · final score · mismatch · underdog · outmatched · outplayed · outscored · dominant
Mass of earth falling
- electionOrganized public voting
- pollsOpinion surveys or voting sites
- mandateFormal authoritative directive
- oppositionActive resistance or dissent
incumbent · challenger · campaign · voters · ballot · midterms · primary · debate
Harshly criticizing someone
- excoriationHarsh criticism; skin abrasion
- panningLateral camera traverse
- roastingCooking with dry heat
- savagingAttacking with ferocity
takedown · criticism · condemnation · rebuke · evisceration · scathing · brutal · backlash
thrashings
Severe beatings or defeats
- beatingsStrikes delivered repeatedly
- drubbingsOverwhelming defeats or beatings
- trouncingOverwhelming defeat
routs · blowouts · whippings · crushing · demolition · annihilation · humiliation · landslide · massacre · walloping
blowouts
Decisive one-sided wins
- shutoutsVictories allowing no scores
- routsDecisive, overwhelming defeats
- mercy ruleThreshold ending uneven contests
lopsided · scoreboard · final score · mismatch · underdog · outmatched · outplayed · outscored · dominant · championship
landslide
Mass of earth falling
- electionOrganized public voting
- pollsOpinion surveys or voting sites
- mandateFormal authoritative directive
opposition · incumbent · challenger · campaign · voters · ballot · midterms · primary · debate · upset
lambasting
Harshly criticizing someone
- excoriationHarsh criticism; skin abrasion
- panningLateral camera traverse
- roastingCooking with dry heat
savaging · takedown · criticism · condemnation · rebuke · evisceration · scathing · brutal · backlash · ridicule
- thrashingsbeatings, drubbings, thrashings, whippings, floggings
shellackingsnail-biters
Suspenseful, closely contested events
squeakers · photo finishes · competitive games · toss-ups · close calls
shellackingsrouts
Decisive, overwhelming defeats
thrashings · drubbings · walkovers · landslide victories · triumphs