bashed; bashing; bashes
Synonyms of bash

transitive verb

1
: to strike violently : hit
also : to injure or damage by striking : smash
—often used with in
2
: to attack physically or verbally
media bashing
celebrity bashing
basher noun

bash

2 of 2

noun

1
: a forceful blow
2
: a festive social gathering : party
3
chiefly British : try, attempt
have a bash at it

Examples of bash in a Sentence

Verb I bashed my arm against the door. Someone bashed him over the head with a chair. They tried to bash the door open. Noun We threw her a birthday bash. She gave me a bash on the head.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
So the aim definitely wasn’t to go out there and be police bashing in in any way. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026 Rarely does a day go by that police in one suburb or another aren’t responding to a burglary involving thieves bashing their way into video gambling terminals. — Charles Keeshan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
While there was no official Vogue World after-party, leave it to the A-list stars to find where the best (and most glamorous) bashes were happening. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2026 One of the perks of fashion week parties is getting to visit places not normally open to visitors, and the 20th anniversary bash for (Red) on Wednesday was no exception. — Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bash

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

Noun

noun derivative of bash entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1744, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1805, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bash was in 1744

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bash. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

bash

verb
ˈbash
1
: to strike violently : beat
2
: to smash by a blow
3
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