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 the second costly infield play, in the fifth inning, Chapman moved quickly on Xander Bogaerts’ dribbler, but Schmitt, anticipating the bang-bang play, extended too early and missed the high throw.
—
Shayna Rubin, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2026
Sometimes these are bang-bang things.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
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
Shayna Rubin, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2026
Sometimes these are bang-bang things.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bang-bang
Adjective
-
When Ahmed suggested that this was a bad idea, since Denise was the one who had been violent, Denise began cursing at him.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Some people argue that enforcement becomes necessary when encampments grow large or long-term, especially when safety concerns, sanitation issues, or violent incidents arise.—
Shianne LeClaire,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
The first wave of women’s-rights activists won suffrage for women, against ferocious and sometimes violent opposition.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
Featuring aching, ferocious performances from Emmy winners Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, Camp Miasma imagines the resurrection of a dormant slasher franchise.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Dozens of furious Nantes supporters were angry over their team’s abysmal season.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Debuting director Ronan Corrigan keeps things moving at a fast and furious pace.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Elsewhere, Juventus was roundly jeered after losing 2-0 at home to fierce rivals Fiorentina, while Como held on for a 1-0 win over Parma to leave Cesc Fàbregas’ team still in with a chance of qualifying for the Champions League just seven years after playing in Italy's fourth division.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
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In the remote native villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, on the coast of the Bering Sea, Halong’s fierce flooding lifted homes off their foundations and carried them down a river with people still inside.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Inside, another naked woman on a Jet Ski does circles in a turbulent body of water.—
Sebastian Smee,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
-
The shift has direct market implications, Dalio said, as investors must navigate a turbulent period where currency values face risk and uncertainty demands liquidity and diversification including gold.—
David Westin,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
As his mobility declines, he’s been unable to extend plays to attack downfield and has appeared unwilling to take some of the contact necessary to create explosive plays.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
The result was Nemesis, an explosive cat and mouse game between a cop and robber.—
Derek Lawrence,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
The pitching staff has been jostled, with a rough outing by lefty reliever Aaron Bummer on Monday necessitating his release on Tuesday.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
20 May 2026
-
Government bonds in Australia and New Zealand are having a rough May.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bang-bang.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bang-bang. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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