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
On second down, Gonzalez stapled himself to Bills receiver Keon Coleman in man coverage, then drifted expertly in zone to jump Khalil Shakir from behind on a bang-bang incompletion that forced a field goal attempt.
—
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Despite the bang-bang nature of the play, To’oTo’o was called for unnecessary roughness.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Ortiz was standing behind Lowe as the bang-bang play unfolded.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2025
He’s also involved in some dodgy side hustles, which leads to a lot of peripheral gunplay and tangential, ha-ha–bang-bang set pieces that feel cherry-picked from Coen’s back catalog.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2025
The bang-bang ending gave Colorado (35-89) its third straight win and clinched the four-game series with the Diamondbacks.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2025
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Despite the bang-bang nature of the play, To’oTo’o was called for unnecessary roughness.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Ortiz was standing behind Lowe as the bang-bang play unfolded.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2025
He’s also involved in some dodgy side hustles, which leads to a lot of peripheral gunplay and tangential, ha-ha–bang-bang set pieces that feel cherry-picked from Coen’s back catalog.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2025
The bang-bang ending gave Colorado (35-89) its third straight win and clinched the four-game series with the Diamondbacks.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bang-bang
Adjective
-
Erfan Soltani, 26, was arrested last month as demonstrations roiled the country, sparking a violent crackdown by authorities.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Unprecedented spending has also done little to address the country’s worst in the nation homeless problem, an infrastructure that is graded lower than the national average, and a violent crime rate that is 35% higher than the national average.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Oc Register,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
What Lee did not anticipate was the iron resolve, the ferocious tenacity, of the Union defenders.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
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But nobody is just strong and ferocious, and nobody is just a saint.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But the Hornets held off a furious San Antonio comeback at the end.—
Scott Fowler The Charlotte Observer,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
-
But the Hornets held off a furious San Antonio comeback at the end.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Those funds are caught in a fierce battle over Democratic proposals, now backed by some Republicans, to impose limits on the behavior of the ICE agents whose aggressive tactics in Minneapolis have left protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti dead.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
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Game director Cary Trzcinski made sure emotions did not boil over and lead to a melee, sticking his thick body and fierce game face into one brewing moment in the second half.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Described as more of a tonal companion to The Worm than a direct continuation, The Answerers is equal parts existential thriller and absurdist comedy, exploring belief, delusion and the human need for meaning in an increasingly turbulent modern world.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2026
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One analyst argues that Bitcoin could sink even more, given the turbulent macroeconomic environment.—
Carlos Garcia,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This explosive documentary takes a look at the history of the city’s racial injustice, along with the complex dynamic between Black residents and the LAPD, and how these all led to the uprising on April 29, 1992.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
1 Feb. 2026
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Judging by the explosive reactions to his yet-unseen film, more Nordic colleagues should take notice.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The lynchpin to it all is recognizing that 69% of gross domestic product, a rough though imperfect measure of the economy, is consumer spending.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The hilarious ensemble comedy plays out during a dinner party between a couple who are going through a rough patch and their upstairs neighbors, who turn out to be swingers.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bang-bang.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bang-bang. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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