bastinado

noun

ˌba-stə-ˈnā-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce bastinado (audio)
variants or bastinade
Definition of bastinadonext
as in cane
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment the guards savagely beat the prisoner's feet with a bastinado

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bastinado
  1. cane
  2. baton
Noun
  • With a bowler hat, a toothbrush mustache, and a crook cane, Charlie Chaplin’s bumbling alter ego the Tramp lit up the big screen.
    — Michael Gioia, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Just three days after surgery to remove one of his kidneys, Miller slowly strolled right in — cane in hand — and took a seat with Council, firing off jokes without missing a beat.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of cane
Noun
  • In the deciding Game 4, Vesia took the baton from Glasnow with two outs and two runners on in the fifth, got the inning’s final out on one pitch and came back out in the sixth.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In Paris, tear gas filled the air, and trash cans, school desks and chairs were set alight as riot police with shields and batons clashed with some demonstrators.
    — Melissa Bell, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of baton
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

bastilles
bastinado
bastinadoes
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Cite this Entry

“Bastinado.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bastinado. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bastinado

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bastinado

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