deal a blow
idiom
formal
: to hit (someone or something) so as to cause harm
He dealt his enemy a mighty blow.
—usually used figurativelyThe factory closing will deal a serious/severe/devastating/crushing blow to the town's economy.
Her career as an ice skater was dealt a fatal blow when she broke her leg.
Examples of deal a blow in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The real estate data company CoStar Group will move its headquarters from downtown D.C. to Arlington, its executives said Tuesday, marking another corporate relocation that could deal a blow to the District’s struggling central business area while boosting its Northern Virginia suburbs.
—
Teo Armus, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024
If some labels get downgraded later this year, though, that could deal a blow to the market, which is already reeling from an 8 percent drop in exports last year.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2024
The capture of Avdiivka would be a strategic success for Russia — the city is a linchpin of Ukrainian defenses in the region — and would deal a blow to Ukrainians’ morale.
—Constant Méheut, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2023
His removal could deal a blow to President Xi Jinping, who last year elevated the 57-year-old over more seasoned ministry peers, as part of sweeping personnel reforms designed to install a team of loyalists.
—Time, 26 July 2023
Further production shutdowns and uncertainty also will deal a blow to Southern California’s economy, with thousands of crew members in the region and small businesses that depend on the region’s cornerstone entertainment economy.
—Anousha Sakoui, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2023
Experts say images showing Putin's arrest are fake The U.S. ban on Russian oil was expected to deal a blow to Russia's economy.
—Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 8 May 2023
Fresh aggression from Beijing could create support for the DPP’s strategy of resisting China and deal a blow to the opposition’s campaign to relieve tensions through talks with Beijing.
—Amy B Wang, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2023
The comments deal a blow to the city’s government, which assigned a nine-member delegation to attend meetings with the committee earlier in the month and defended its use of the national-security law.
—Natasha Khan, WSJ, 28 July 2022
Teo Armus, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024
If some labels get downgraded later this year, though, that could deal a blow to the market, which is already reeling from an 8 percent drop in exports last year.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2024
The capture of Avdiivka would be a strategic success for Russia — the city is a linchpin of Ukrainian defenses in the region — and would deal a blow to Ukrainians’ morale.
—Constant Méheut, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2023
His removal could deal a blow to President Xi Jinping, who last year elevated the 57-year-old over more seasoned ministry peers, as part of sweeping personnel reforms designed to install a team of loyalists.
—Time, 26 July 2023
Further production shutdowns and uncertainty also will deal a blow to Southern California’s economy, with thousands of crew members in the region and small businesses that depend on the region’s cornerstone entertainment economy.
—Anousha Sakoui, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2023
Experts say images showing Putin's arrest are fake The U.S. ban on Russian oil was expected to deal a blow to Russia's economy.
—Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 8 May 2023
Fresh aggression from Beijing could create support for the DPP’s strategy of resisting China and deal a blow to the opposition’s campaign to relieve tensions through talks with Beijing.
—Amy B Wang, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2023
The comments deal a blow to the city’s government, which assigned a nine-member delegation to attend meetings with the committee earlier in the month and defended its use of the national-security law.
—Natasha Khan, WSJ, 28 July 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deal a blow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Deal a blow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deal%20a%20blow. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
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