pummel

verb

pum·​mel ˈpə-məl 

pummeled also pummelled; pummeling also pummelling ˈpə-mə-liŋ 

ˈpəm-liŋ

: pound, beat

Synonyms of pummel

• lick
• hide
• pound
• beat
• lash
• whip
• pelt
• slap
• hit
• knock
• attack
• punch
• smash
• assault
• thump
• spank
• do
• slam
• batter
• bludgeon
• maul

Examples of pummel in a Sentence

pummeled the mugger with her fists until help arrived

Recent Examples on the Web

The group pummelled the bot with more than 1,000 prompts to bypass the safeguards and convince Claude they were allowed to test the system for vulnerabilities. —Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026

The 74-year-old incumbent was backed by Senate Republican leaders and pummeled both rivals. —Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026

The surfaces are marked by cavities, which are leftover bubbles that happened when the superhot material was being pummeled through the atmosphere — much like with lava, a press release noted. —Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2026

Jaylen Brown missed his seventh game of the season Monday in Milwaukee, sitting out with what the team called an illness on the second night of a back-to-back, and Boston won easily, pummeling the Bucks 108-81. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of pommel

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pummel

• hummel

Kids Definition

pummel

verb

pum·​mel ˈpəm-əl 

pummeled or pummelled; pummeling or pummelling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

: pound entry 3 sense 2a, beat

knead and pummel the dough

2

: to defeat decisively

pummeled the competition