as in punch
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
dealt his opponent a haymaker that sent him reeling across the boxing ring
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Recent Examples of haymaker
The Miami Dolphins certainly took a haymaker to the face on Wednesday courtesy of the Detroit Lions.
—
Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
Boston scored five runs right out the chute in the top of the first inning, with Rob Refsnyder breaking the ice with a two-run single with the bases loaded and Jarren Duran delivering a haymaker in the form of a towering three-run home run.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 5 Aug. 2025
Unlike other characters that need to jump on enemies to defeat them, DK can throw an endless stream of haymaker punches in all directions and can even rip chunks of rock and the ground itself out to throw with precision.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 July 2025
The Knicks absorbed the Pistons’ best shots, then landed a flurry of haymakers spread throughout the fourth quarter to bury Detroit beneath an avalanche of buckets to open the series.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for haymaker
Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
Boston scored five runs right out the chute in the top of the first inning, with Rob Refsnyder breaking the ice with a two-run single with the bases loaded and Jarren Duran delivering a haymaker in the form of a towering three-run home run.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 5 Aug. 2025
Unlike other characters that need to jump on enemies to defeat them, DK can throw an endless stream of haymaker punches in all directions and can even rip chunks of rock and the ground itself out to throw with precision.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 July 2025
The Knicks absorbed the Pistons’ best shots, then landed a flurry of haymakers spread throughout the fourth quarter to bury Detroit beneath an avalanche of buckets to open the series.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for haymaker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haymaker
Noun
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Beyond their culinary appeal, pears also pack an impressive nutritional punch and are often praised for supporting heart, digestive and metabolic health.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
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That’s a reliable 1-2 punch for controlling game scripts.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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China’s sweeping new restrictions, some of which won’t take effect until November, could deal a huge blow to East Asian economies, such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, which play critical roles in the global tech and artificial intelligence supply chain, as well as the auto industries.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
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Though no plant jobs were lost, just reallocated, the move still came as a blow, according to UAW Local 14 President Tony Totty.—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Timpani, bass drums, and piano follow with a concussive thud.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
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But after the sharp rise, EV sales for the rest of the year will likely come back to Earth with a heavy thud.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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A couple of good back slaps and thumps from the adoring crowd.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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Karl turned on the headlights and got the windshield wipers going at a mad slap.—
Ann Patchett,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Another Boras client, Cody Bellinger, was nearing the end of his second season in Chicago, which did not deliver as much thump as his MVP-level 2023 campaign.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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The dramatic thump of the ship’s four electromagnetic catapults which shoot them into the sky is constant and can be heard throughout the ship.—
Matthew Bodner,
NBC news,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Boston’s steely swipe The Yankees entered these playoffs as arguably the hottest team in the bracket.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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In today’s climate, every swipe of a card increasingly serves as an emotional release.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Safety Bryan Cook came up with a big hit, and Nohl Williams came up with a stop.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
13 Oct. 2025
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In live performances of the indie pop hit, Role Model has often invited a fan, another musician, or some other special guest to play the part of Sally.—
William Vaillancourt,
Rolling Stone,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Filip Chytil flashes his top-six talent The offseason concern around Vancouver’s second-line centre position was never meant to be a knock on Chytil’s talent.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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In the movie, though, there’s no door knock.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Haymaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haymaker. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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