billy clubs

noun

plural of billy club
as in canes
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment rapping the shoes of the sleeping vagrant with his billy club, the officer told him to move on

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of billy clubs After about a minute and half, Mauldin said, police began to attack the demonstrators with billy clubs. — Maya Miller, ProPublica, 15 May 2026 Mayhem erupted when the strikers were attacked with tear gas and billy clubs. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for billy clubs
  1. canes
  2. batons
Noun
  • Victim 2, who is a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue employee according to the New York Times, was repeatedly struck with canes and paddles and bled through his underwear and pants because of lacerations to his buttocks, according to the warrant.
    — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
  • At the base, blueberry shrubs have multiple canes (or branches) that grow directly out of the earth in clumps.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 July 2026
Definition of canes
Noun
  • Tensions escalated after protesters marching toward Parliament were met with a police crackdown earlier in the week, with officers using batons and tear gas to disperse crowds.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • The demonstrations have become one of the most persistent challenges to Modi’s government in recent years, with thousands returning to the streets even after police used tear gas and batons to disperse marchers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Definition of batons

Browse Nearby Words

billy club
billy clubs
billycock
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Cite this Entry

“Billy clubs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/billy%20clubs. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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