as in cane
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
guards armed with bludgeons roamed the compound
Synonyms & Similar Words
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1
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
remodelers bludgeoned the wall with a sledgehammer to join the two rooms
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
a boxer bludgeoning his opponent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bludgeon
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025
The next unethical president on the left will happily use whatever government bludgeon this administration fashions to pummel the right.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 20 Sep. 2025
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Activists of Khan’s party were abducted, leaders hunted down, bought or bludgeoned into submission.
—Mohammed Hanif, Time, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bludgeon
Noun
There’s Xi Jinping mogging Bibi Netanyahu while deafeningly aggro phonk bludgeons away; hype montages paint Marx as history’s greatest theorist and pair Zohran Mamdani quotes with Playboi Carti Die Lit cuts.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025
The next unethical president on the left will happily use whatever government bludgeon this administration fashions to pummel the right.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
The day ended Sunderland’s last top-tier stint, a 1-0 defeat confirming relegation and continuing a winless home run which spanned a loyalty-bludgeoning 364 days.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Activists of Khan’s party were abducted, leaders hunted down, bought or bludgeoned into submission.
—Mohammed Hanif, Time, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bludgeon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bludgeon
Noun
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It is thought to be one of the highest numbers of cane lashes imposed since sharia was implemented after Aceh was granted special autonomy in 2001.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The beverage program will feature cocktails like a sorghum old-fashioned; an Atlanta Sazerac with peach bitters, rye, cane syrup and an absinthe rinse; and the restaurant’s take on a mint julep called the George gold.—
Olivia Wakim,
AJC.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Five players were booked during their defeat to Cameroon, including Foster, who slapped the linesman’s hand twice and screamed in his face in frustration over a decision.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Mimicking what happened seven years earlier after the Dallas playoff win in Charlotte, the players ran back outside and took a lap around the stadium, slapping hands with delirious home fans.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mitch West, meanwhile, was licking his wounds on Monday night, when snow still hadn’t touched down in his region of South Carolina.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
-
England’s Test team are still licking their wounds after their humbling Down Under.—
Sam Dalling,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Federal officers wielded batons and deployed flash-bang devices against the crowd.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Agents pushed back demonstrators with a barrage of stinger ball grenades, pepper balls, tear gas and baton rounds.—
Robert Costa,
CBS News,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Journalist Don Lemon was released from custody Friday after he was arrested and hit with federal civil rights charges over his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota church.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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But of all the spaghetti that got thrown at the wall, this is the one that hits for reasons that are totally orthogonal to politics and sort of Washington.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Russia has been pounding Ukraine's critical infrastructure, hoping to wear down public resistance to the war while leaving many around the country having to endure the dead of winter without heat.—
AAMER MADHANI AND SUSIE BLANN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
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For now, however, the first part of the season mostly succeeds at balancing power dynamics and pulse-pounding romance, with a major assist from the warm and hot chemistry between season leads Luke Thompson and series newbie Yerin Ha.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The federal government has used Medicare funding as a cudgel to get hospitals to follow its priorities before, including as a way to force desegregation of wards in the program's early years.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2026
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The actions also follow the emphasis the administration places on economic pressure and wins as a deterrent to war and a cudgel for peace.—
Shelley Inglis,
The Conversation,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In his defense, Barnett took the stand to say there was no murder plot and that Thomas threatened him for the money using physical violence — knocking out a tooth, injuring his left shoulder, and smacking his private parts.—
Sydney Pereira,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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Stiddy is the guy who throws no-look passes in practice and talks smack to the starting defense.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bludgeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bludgeon. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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