trounce

How to sign: come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
"Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship"; "We beat the competition"; "Harvard defeated Yale in the last football game";

Similiar / Same: beat, beat out, vanquish, crush, shell

Categories: defeat, get the better of, overcome

Within this category: bat, cheat, checkmate, eliminate, get the jump, immobilize, outdo, outfight, outplay, outpoint, overpower, spread-eagle, surpass, walk over, whomp, worst

trounce

How to sign: censure severely or angrily
"The mother scolded the child for entering a stranger's car"; "The deputy ragged the Prime Minister"; "The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing cold soup";

Similiar / Same: rebuke, have words, chew up, chew out, bawl out, berate, chide, scold, dress down, reproof, call on the carpet, call down, reprimand, lecture, lambaste, lambast, remonstrate, jaw, rag

Categories: criticise, criticize, knock, pick apart

Within this category: chastise, tell off

trounce

How to sign: beat severely with a whip or rod
"The teacher often flogged the students"; "The children were severely trounced";

Similiar / Same: flog, welt, whip, lash, lather, slash, strap

Categories: beat, beat up, work over

Within this category: birch, cat, cowhide, flagellate, horsewhip, switch