like a man/woman possessed

phrase

: with a lot of energy or force : like a person who is completely controlled by some powerful emotion, spirit, etc.

He pounded on the door like a man possessed, yelling for someone to let him in.

Examples of like a man/woman possessed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kendrick Lamar protégé Ray Vaughn performed like a man possessed to close out the festival late Wednesday. — Ramon Ramirez, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026

Celebrini played the final 10 minutes of regulation and overtime like a man possessed, seemingly offended by the idea that his team would lose. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 14 Dec. 2025

Lawrence propels herself through space like a woman possessed, and Ramsay underscores her mysterious inner drive with music and rhythm, letting songs illustrate Grace’s moods and whims, from the innocent to the romantic to the punishing. — Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 6 Nov. 2025

Bednarek now has extra motivation to nab the 200-meter gold later this week. — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025

Harvey found the inside seam on an 8-yard touchdown run, sprinting like a man possessed. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2025

Marc Guiu, a prominent figure in the pre-season tour due largely to a dearth of No 9 alternatives, led the attacking line and the high press like a man possessed in the west London summer heat for all of his 56 minutes on the pitch. — Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 11 Aug. 2024