tan

verb

ˈtan How to pronounce tan (audio)
Definition of tannext
1
as in to hide
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 to lick
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 tan Guests who are 21 years of age and older can enjoy other adults-only spaces and amenities like a warming pool, swim-up bars, as well as a tanning pool. — Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2025 Fur handling is a lengthy discussion for another time, but at the very least, have a plan to skin your catch, then roll it up (fur out) and put it in the freezer, to be sold or tanned at a later time. — Skye Goode, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025 By the Swinging ’60s, Oberon tanned and grew her hair long but kept her identity secret. — Carolyn Kellogg, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2025 Bogs are low-oxygen environments and prevent decay, and chemicals like tannins — used in tanning leather — preserve even the organic tissues from human remains, according to Britannica. — Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tan
  1. hide
  2. lick
  3. leather
  4. pound
  5. whip
  6. lash
  7. slash
  8. pelt
Verb
  • Because the kitchen is visible from the living and dining areas, Allison downplayed the utilitarian stuff, tucking the stainless-steel refrigerator behind a wall and hiding the range behind the island.
    — Amy Panos, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Apr. 2025
  • The shooter behind the 2023 Nashville elementary school attack that killed six people, including three children, had been obsessively planning it for years while hiding mental health issues from family and doctors, a police report released Wednesday reveals.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of hide
Verb
  • Marchand has crossed lines by licking players, or repeatedly punching a hockey pacifist like Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin in a final series.
    — Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis are licking their chops.
    — Jeffrey Gedmin, National Review, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of lick
Verb
  • News round-up Real Madrid set up El Clasico in Spain’s Supercopa by leathering Mallorca 3-0 last night.
    — Phil Hay, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Almost from the start, Dharavi was defined by its industries: from the traditional potters of Gujarat who began arriving in the late 1800s, to leather tanners from Tamil Nadu and embroidery workers from Uttar Pradesh.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN, 29 June 2024
Definition of leather
Verb
  • The show follows Richards pounding the pavement in every shot as he is violently hunted.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2025
  • That leaves us with Tim, STILL pounding the pills and booze.
    — Dan Heching, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of pound
Verb
  • Meister can often immediately identify on an MRI that a pitcher throws a sweeper—a hard slider that the pitcher whips to get about fifteen inches of horizontal movement from the ball.
    — Lindsey Adler, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2025
  • The moment, which made the episode’s final cut, occurs when Drummond whips Mark S. around and pushes him into a wall.
    — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of whip
Verb
  • In early March, tropical storm Alfred battered Australia’s heavily populated east coast, lashing the region with damaging winds and heavy rain for several days as hundreds of thousands of homes in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales lost power.
    — Edward Szekeres and Helen Regan, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
  • However, Cabello lashed out at U.S. authorities, accusing them of unjustly detaining and deporting Venezuelans under false claims of gang affiliations.
    — Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of lash
Verb
  • The vacuum, which is typically priced at $450, has been slashed to just $300 at Amazon.
    — Amy Schulman, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Big studios have slashed budgets, making life for production crews more financially precarious.
    — Steven Kurutz, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of slash
Verb
  • Finally, the mottled clumps of gray sky opened and flecks of snow began pelting the faces of the scouts assembled at Canvas Stadium.
    — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Want to feel your movie seat move, get pelted by wind and snow or even smell a certain scent?
    — Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of pelt

Browse Nearby Words

tams
tan
tandem
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Cite this Entry

“Tan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tan. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tan

Nglish: Translation of tan for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tan

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