body blow

noun

1

: a blow to the body

2

: a damaging or deeply felt blow

an economic body blow

Examples of body blow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The deaths from the World Trade Center marked a huge body blow to Rockville Centre, which suffered more losses than many other communities in the tri-state area. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026

Shelton was on the front foot, chasing Alcaraz around the court with body blow serves and driving strokes into the corners, getting the early break again. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Then, Gaethje survived a handful of fierce body blows and two submission attempts in the second round before Gaethje stepped on the gas in the third and fourth rounds. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 6 July 2026

Over a decade, more than 1,000 people have died across the country after police subdued them through means not intended to be lethal, such as physical holds, Tasers and body blows, an investigation led by The Associated Press found. — Hannah Fingerhut, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for body blow

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo