drub

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 11, 2021 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>drub</strong> &#149; \DRUB\&nbsp; &#149; <em>verb</em><br /> <p><strong>1 :</strong> to beat severely</p> <p><strong>2 :</strong> to <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/berate">berate</a> critically</p> <p><strong>3 :</strong> to defeat decisively</p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>Morale after the game was low: the hometown team had been <em>drubbed</em> by the worst team in the league.</p> <p>"After getting <em>drubbed</em> by a combined 65 points, the Warriors beat two winless teams—Chicago and Detroit—and started to learn how they need to play." — <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/01/01/warriors-trail-blazers-steph-curry-kelly-oubre-james-wiseman-draymond-green/">Wes Goldberg, <em>The Mercury News</em> (San Jose, California), 1 Jan. 2021</a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>Sportswriters often use <em>drub</em>, but the term's history reveals that it wasn't always a sporting word. When <em>drub</em> was first used in English, it referred to a method of punishment that involved beating the soles of a culprit's feet with a stick or cudgel. The term was apparently brought to England in the 17th century by travelers who reported observing the punitive practice in Asia. The ultimate origin of <em>drub</em> is uncertain, but some etymologists have speculated that it may have evolved from the Arabic word <em>ḍaraba</em>, meaning "to beat."</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>