as in punch
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
one well aimed slug on the head knocked him out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in snail
a lazy person
he's always a slug in the morning, which is why he prefers to sleep late
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to punch
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
she got so angry that she slugged the back of the chair and knocked it over
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 slug
Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano, The Spruce, 7 June 2026
And who would, given that every one of them looks like the Creature from the Black Lagoon crossed with a giant slug melted into a pile of excrement?
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 May 2026
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
Aaron Judge slugged 62 home runs for the New York Yankees in 2022, breaking Roger Maris’ mythical American League record of 61 homers set in 1961.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for slug
Noun
Attracting certain unwanted pests like snails, slugs, or raccoons.
—Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano, The Spruce, 7 June 2026
And who would, given that every one of them looks like the Creature from the Black Lagoon crossed with a giant slug melted into a pile of excrement?
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 May 2026
Verb
There wasn’t much concern about the hard-slugging right fielder’s condition, however.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
Aaron Judge slugged 62 home runs for the New York Yankees in 2022, breaking Roger Maris’ mythical American League record of 61 homers set in 1961.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for slug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slug
Noun
-
Olivia Rodrigo is a student of Love and her ilk who has been riding high off the one-two punch of 2021’s Sour and 2023’s Guts, chart-toppers dually indebted to modern pop and ’90s grunge.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
-
His Bernstein had visceral, vernacular punch; his Verdi was ardent and spry; his Britten had the right textural grit; his Mozart unfurled with complicated grace.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Keeping Away Pests The alluring smell of a fresh cup of joe does not have the same effect on insects and pests like snails and slugs.—
Joey Skladany,
Southern Living,
17 June 2026
-
Colorful flowers tower over guests, butterflies are as big as birds and snails and bumblebees crawl and buzz along the walls.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The glass caught the light first, then the lemon oil lifted before the first sip.—
Noel Burgess,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Kyle giving Lindsay a piggyback while also trying to take a sip of Loverboy is why these two will always be famous.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Israeli strikes hit several towns in southern Lebanon on Saturday morning local time, killing at least five people, Lebanese state-run National News Agency reported, despite Israel and Hezbollah renewing their truce Friday.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
-
Temperatures are expected to soar on June 22 in parts of Oregon and Washington, possibly hitting 100 degrees in Portland and at least 90 degrees in Seattle.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
The rookie took a deep breath, settled into his stance and watched as Houston’s pitcher, Enyel De Los Santos, attempted to deliver the final blow.—
Latif Love
June 14,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2026
-
Star third baseman José Ramírez broke a bone in his left hand on a swing Saturday and will be sidelined for an indefinite period, a massive blow to the two-time defending AL Central champions.—
Tom Withers,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Prosecutors allege the group, who were arrested in June during a multi-state sweep, coordinated an ambush involving explosive-laden drones intended to strike the north side of the White House.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
-
Federal authorities arrested multiple people in connection with an alleged plot to target the Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House, thwarting an attack that court documents say would have involved drones, explosive devices and multiple gunmen.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
It’s not made explicitly clear if these seemingly sympathetic kids are actually his worst bullies, but Machado-Graner’s eyes, lip twitch, and throat gulp in this short sequence tell a whole story in themselves.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
-
The nervous gulp that sight triggered.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Fireworks lit up the night sky, people honked horns on jampacked streets and firefighters — from their trucks — slapped high-fives with delirious fans.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
Rhodes then slapped Zayn across the face.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slug. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
