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
Next, a 10,000-pound concrete-and-steel battering ram was used to punch 24-foot holes through the ice, beginning at the far end of the whales' four-mile path to freedom, so as not to alarm them.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Jamaica hardest hit Jamaica took the heaviest battering.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
It's also forecast to bring up to a 13-foot storm surge, topped by large battering waves, on the south coast of Jamaica, and a surge almost as high where it's forecast to strike the southeastern coast of Cuba, the hurricane center said.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Combined with large, battering waves, the surge poses a serious threat to low-lying coastal communities.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for battering
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Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Jamaica hardest hit Jamaica took the heaviest battering.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
It's also forecast to bring up to a 13-foot storm surge, topped by large battering waves, on the south coast of Jamaica, and a surge almost as high where it's forecast to strike the southeastern coast of Cuba, the hurricane center said.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Combined with large, battering waves, the surge poses a serious threat to low-lying coastal communities.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for battering
Cite this Entry
“Battering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battering. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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