get a pasting

1. To be soundly defeated or bested; to lose by a wide margin. Their team's inexperience showed on the pitch today, as they got a pasting from the powerful squad from New Zealand.

2. To be very strongly rebuked, criticized, condemned, or punished. The giant supermarket chain has gotten a pasting lately over allegations that they've been threatening local shops and markets. Mark sure got a pasting because of that prank he pulled in class yesterday.

give somebody/get a ˈpasting

(informal, especially British English)
1 beat somebody/be beaten very easily: Our team was given a real pasting on Saturday. We lost 6-0. ♢ The Democrats got a real pasting at the local elections.
2 criticize somebody/be criticized very severely: His new film got a pasting in the newspaper yesterday. ♢ She gave me a real pasting for handing in my essay a week late.