lick one's wounds

present singular third person licks one's wounds · participle present licking one's wounds · participle past licked one's wounds · past licked one's wounds

1. idiomaticTo withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat; to recuperate.

   2 more examples

   Prevented by internal and external influences, this ideal of placing the sovereignty in the hands of the people was not carried out immediately after the establishment of the Republic of China. With the changes of time, particularly with the relocation of the ROC government to Taiwan, we have gradually carried it out at last, but only after having licked our wounds and built our strength for forty years.

   1996 May, Lee Teng-hui, “Political Reforms”, in Peace Through Democratic Reforms, Taipei: Wen Ying Tang Press Inc., →ISBN, →OCLC, page 11

   If the ball was out of play, someone in blue would dash to get it back. This was not a side licking its wounds from the humbling of Anfield or Saturday’s ordeal against Manchester United. It was the best team in England with adrenaline running through their veins, playing as if they believed anything was achievable.

   2018 April 10, Daniel Taylor, “Liverpool go through after Mohamed Salah stops Manchester City fightback”, in The Guardian (London)