as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
the film lacks compelling characters, but it has plenty of bang-bang action
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Recent Examples of bang-bang
The Dodgers took more good at-bats in the seventh, when another double from Freeman set up Pages for a two-out, two-run single — with Freeman racing home on his battered right ankle to score on a bang-bang slide.
—
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
Trying to get home from third can be far different in that there are myriad bang-bang plays that can happen.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2025
Haggerty was initially deemed safe on the bang-bang play at second – enraging Boone – but replay review overturned the call and brought the inning to an end.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025
The loud bang-bang seemed to suck all the oxygen out of the three-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot ranch home.
—Suzette Hackney, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
The second of two runs was a bang-bang play at the plate between Luisangel Acuña and Henry Davis with Acuña just beating the tag.
—Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Murray was trying to remember if he’s ever seen a closer bang-bang finish to a game than Gordon’s.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 Apr. 2025
The playoffs are often decided by split-second, bang-bang plays, and this was certainly one that could have easily been called in real time.
—Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2025
First-base umpire Jordan Baker originally ruled Riley out on the bang-bang play, but the Braves challenged, and the call was overturned.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
Trying to get home from third can be far different in that there are myriad bang-bang plays that can happen.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2025
Haggerty was initially deemed safe on the bang-bang play at second – enraging Boone – but replay review overturned the call and brought the inning to an end.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025
The loud bang-bang seemed to suck all the oxygen out of the three-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot ranch home.
—Suzette Hackney, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
The second of two runs was a bang-bang play at the plate between Luisangel Acuña and Henry Davis with Acuña just beating the tag.
—Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Murray was trying to remember if he’s ever seen a closer bang-bang finish to a game than Gordon’s.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 Apr. 2025
The playoffs are often decided by split-second, bang-bang plays, and this was certainly one that could have easily been called in real time.
—Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2025
First-base umpire Jordan Baker originally ruled Riley out on the bang-bang play, but the Braves challenged, and the call was overturned.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bang-bang
Adjective
-
Noni finds herself up against Lion’s violent henchmen and women in series of fight-to-the-death encounters aboard the tyrant’s grandiose sailing ship, which lies at the heart of a vast naval fleet.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
-
The protests had been largely peaceful throughout Friday and Saturday, with isolated instances of violent activity.—
Michael Wilner,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
America, then, was visible to Fuller as the ferocious winds destroyed the vessel.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
-
The Thunder are deep, play ferocious defense and have a star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who embraces the big moment.—
Bob Harkins,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
Ripley capped off a furious comeback with a Razor’s Edge toss of Perez onto Giulia, followed by a slam onto a ladder lodged between the first and second ropes.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
-
Then came the very public split between President Trump and Elon Musk, and a flurry of furious Twitter/X and Truth Social postings, aimed at each other with razor-sharp edges.—
Space.com Staff,
Space.com,
7 June 2025
Adjective
-
Meta’s big bet on Wang fits into CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s plans to bolster his company’s AI efforts amid fierce competition from OpenAI and Google-parent Alphabet.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
13 June 2025
-
Sanders’s Senate counterpart, Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), is a fierce Trump critic.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
President Donald Trump’s turbulent tariff policy is projected to cause a sharper slowdown in economic growth in the United States and around the world than previously expected, the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) found in a Tuesday report.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
3 June 2025
-
This turbulent phase will pass, leading to more peaceful times ahead.—
Essence,
Essence,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
Watkins got a nice plug from Purdy, who said he’s made several explosive plays this spring.—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
5 June 2025
-
Park was allegedly in possession of an explosive recipe that was similar to that used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
If your skin is extremely dry and rough, however, the La Roche-Posay Body Moisturizer is rich in prebiotic thermal water, shea butter, and niacinamide is another one of Tookes’ recommendations.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
2 June 2025
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Cloudy skies, rough surf and limited battery life can all reduce their effectiveness.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
But then a summer came and went, with rabid fans left waiting (due to the writers' and actors' guild strikes) to see which Fisher brother, if any, Belly chooses in the end of the onscreen adaptation.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
20 May 2025
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Lawrence often has this frisky, rabid grin that’s irresistible to watch but also scary.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bang-bang.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bang-bang. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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