as in hammering
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1
as in bumping
to come into usually forceful contact with something
the car bashed into the tree with glass-shattering force
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slamming
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
you have to bash that door hard in order to get it open
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in licking
to strike repeatedly
the angry child kept bashing her toy with a hammer until it broke
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in attacking
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
in all of talk radio no other host seems to enjoy bashing liberals as much as he does
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bashing
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 4 June 2026
But more recently, Japan-bashing has become the core of a strident Chinese nationalism, with disastrous consequences.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 2 June 2026
Britain’s surging Green Party is making the bashing of Israel a centerpiece of its platform.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
The target of our petty president’s latest bashing is Pope Leo XIV, the first American leader of the Catholic Church, who seems to be a guy with Midwestern common sense.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Which seems like the anxiety Chalamet was trying to express with his needless opera bashing.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Several former players have had enough of the Bam bashing.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
But Beshear hasn’t turned Trump-bashing into a 24/7 vocation, or a weight-lifting contest where the winner is the critic wielding the heaviest bludgeon.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Powell, known for a cool head and a quiet demeanor, has consistently avoided direct confrontations with Trump, even as the president's personal displeasure with the Fed chair escalated from behind the scenes pressure to public bashing.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 21 Jan. 2026
Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 10 June 2026
The book is structured as a quest to figure out why a class of aimless young men in late-Thatcherist Blighty get their kicks out of getting paralytically drunk and bashing one another half to death every weekend.
—Leander Schaerlaeckens
june 8, Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
But much of this rich-bashing isn’t based on fact.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 29 May 2026
The agreement also includes a non-disparagement clause, in which Wilson must stop publicly bashing Lululemon for 18 months.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 27 May 2026
Expectations, therefore, were high for a Trump-bashing throw-down on final show on Thursday.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
Hegseth echoed Trump in bashing Massie, who has often spoken out against the president's agenda, which has prompted the president to support Gallrein in an effort to oust Massie.
—Emily Chang, ABC News, 18 May 2026
Woman-bashing plays well on social media and sells lots of ads for crypto, sports betting, and supplements.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Elon Musk is back to bashing The Odyssey and Christopher Nolan‘s decision to cast Lupita Nyong’o in the epic film.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Noun
Whether the bashing has any immediate political implications for the lawmakers remains to be seen.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 4 June 2026
But more recently, Japan-bashing has become the core of a strident Chinese nationalism, with disastrous consequences.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 2 June 2026
Britain’s surging Green Party is making the bashing of Israel a centerpiece of its platform.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
The target of our petty president’s latest bashing is Pope Leo XIV, the first American leader of the Catholic Church, who seems to be a guy with Midwestern common sense.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Which seems like the anxiety Chalamet was trying to express with his needless opera bashing.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Several former players have had enough of the Bam bashing.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
But Beshear hasn’t turned Trump-bashing into a 24/7 vocation, or a weight-lifting contest where the winner is the critic wielding the heaviest bludgeon.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Powell, known for a cool head and a quiet demeanor, has consistently avoided direct confrontations with Trump, even as the president's personal displeasure with the Fed chair escalated from behind the scenes pressure to public bashing.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
So what’s Aiyuk accomplishing by bashing the 49ers repeatedly on social media?
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 10 June 2026
The book is structured as a quest to figure out why a class of aimless young men in late-Thatcherist Blighty get their kicks out of getting paralytically drunk and bashing one another half to death every weekend.
—Leander Schaerlaeckens
june 8, Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
But much of this rich-bashing isn’t based on fact.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 29 May 2026
The agreement also includes a non-disparagement clause, in which Wilson must stop publicly bashing Lululemon for 18 months.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 27 May 2026
Expectations, therefore, were high for a Trump-bashing throw-down on final show on Thursday.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
Hegseth echoed Trump in bashing Massie, who has often spoken out against the president's agenda, which has prompted the president to support Gallrein in an effort to oust Massie.
—Emily Chang, ABC News, 18 May 2026
Woman-bashing plays well on social media and sells lots of ads for crypto, sports betting, and supplements.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Elon Musk is back to bashing The Odyssey and Christopher Nolan‘s decision to cast Lupita Nyong’o in the epic film.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bashing
Noun
-
The sound of hammering came from outside in the driveway, where some men were building a coffin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The 4-0 hammering in France has seen Ajax’s chance of elimination before the knockout stage rise to 85 per cent.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This last concern, which could’ve effectively sabotaged anybody trying to train competing models by quietly bumping them down to less powerful models without their knowledge, proved controversial enough for Anthropic to change its mind.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
11 June 2026
-
Gilman pulled rookie wide receiver Cyrus Allen to the ground after a catch, later bumping rookie running back Emmett Johnson hard enough that Johnson’s helmet popped off.—
Pete Sweeney
June 11,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The Massachusetts Republican Party is slamming both Markey and Healey for backing Platner.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
-
Hugh Laurie has apologized to a writer after slamming her criticisms of House on social media.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
That licking instinct may have led Jacobs’s elk to an area known as Flag Swamp, a one-acre wetland filled with blue flag irises and shrubby willow trees.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
And watch for behavioral changes, as pets may experience pain, licking or chewing at a wound, loss of appetite and lethargy.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Just attacking everything with strikes.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
-
Police in the northwest Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights have released a sketch of a man accused of attacking and choking a woman this past weekend.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Thursday’s 118-91 thrashing, though, invited more than a Game 7.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
The thrashing of the DOC and prosecution followed a motion filed on Sunday by Allen's attorneys requesting he be removed from suicide precautions in prison.—
Peter D'Abrosca , Jake Gibson,
FOXNews.com,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The footwork mixed with the sounds of her shots banging off the rim makes for quite the clip.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
-
In the footage, the man appears enraged, shouting and banging his hands into the side of the driver's door.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
In the run-up to the elections, Russia upped pressure on its ally by slapping import bans on Armenian products, including fresh fruit, flowers and spirits.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
-
Home plate umpire Dan Iassogna called a third strike, but Madrigal argued with the umpire, emphatically slapping his head.—
Liana Handler,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bashing. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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