battering
noun
bat·ter·ing
ˈba-tə-riŋ 
1
: violent physical abuse that usually involves the act of striking someone repeatedly or heavily in order to cause injury
Feminists turned violence against women, previously a well-kept secret, into a public political issue; made rape, incest, battering and sexual harassment understood as crimes; and got public funding for shelters for battered women.—
The Nation
The Nation2
: a damaging experience or situation : an injury, setback, or defeat
That was the year Canada rebounded from a 28–4 battering in the round-robin to beat the U.S. 17–16 in the championship final …—Bob Kravitz
Bob KravitzWhile her confidence took a battering [=was damaged], she kept a game face throughout the season.—Sally Bedell Smith
Sally Bedell SmithExamples of battering in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Better explained, tension builds until there is a battering incident.
—Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 23 Feb. 2025
Adrian was arrested in connection with first-degree domestic battering and first-degree terroristic threatening, both felony charges.
—Annette Beard, arkansasonline.com, 31 Jan. 2025
During his first term, America’s alliances survived some battering to emerge largely unscathed.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2025
Even more important, despite the battering that democracy has endured, most people want to strengthen, not discard, their democratic systems.
—Madeleine K. Albright, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for battering
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Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 23 Feb. 2025
Adrian was arrested in connection with first-degree domestic battering and first-degree terroristic threatening, both felony charges.
—Annette Beard, arkansasonline.com, 31 Jan. 2025
During his first term, America’s alliances survived some battering to emerge largely unscathed.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2025
Even more important, despite the battering that democracy has endured, most people want to strengthen, not discard, their democratic systems.
—Madeleine K. Albright, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for battering
Cite this Entry
“Battering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battering. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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