as in cane
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
guards armed with bludgeons roamed the compound
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 bludgeon
Adam Crepelle, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Nov. 2025
Mamdani’s critics, of course, quickly turned the word into a bludgeon.
—John M. Crisp, Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2025
Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2026
The 60-year-old wife of banker Leroy Rudolph was found in a bathtub filled with water, her body fatally bludgeoned.
—Annie Vainshtein, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bludgeon
Noun
Antiquated federal bureaucracy, bewildering jurisdictional rules and burdensome state taxation bludgeon the spirit of enterprise on tribal lands.
—Adam Crepelle, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Nov. 2025
Mamdani’s critics, of course, quickly turned the word into a bludgeon.
—John M. Crisp, Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2025
Verb
Maryland continues to bludgeon hardworking Marylanders with skyrocketing costs related to living in the state.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2026
The 60-year-old wife of banker Leroy Rudolph was found in a bathtub filled with water, her body fatally bludgeoned.
—Annie Vainshtein, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bludgeon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bludgeon
Noun
-
Betye Saar practically levitates into the room wearing a Max Mara jacket that resembles a bird’s plumage, with a butter-yellow silk Dior dress grazing the ground behind her and a cane in her hand.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
Bad Bunny went full costume, carrying a cane and dressing up as an older version of himself with gray hair and special effects makeup to add years to his face.—
Beatrice Dupuy,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
That put an end to the zero-tariff trade environment for exporters on both sides of the Atlantic and slapped new duties onto Scotch whisky and other spirits sent to America from Britain.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
1 May 2026
-
But what's really cool is that these are not just standard off-the-rack clubs that the folks at McLaren slapped their logo onto.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Gilgeous-Alexander licked his chops at what Game 1 presented.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
-
But host Kristen Kish is licking her lips at the prospect of taking the show even further afield in the future.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Berkshire Hathaway hosts its 2026 annual meeting — its first since Warren Buffett passed the baton as CEO to Greg Abel at the start of the year.—
Yun Li,Alex Harring,Sarah Min,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
-
There used to be physical-comedy genius; there used to be simple, aspirational concepts; there used to be a passing of batons between past stars onto the next generation of them.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Sloane, who has increased his fastball velocity by over 10 mph since last spring and now reaches 90, hit the gym hard.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
During their semifinal win over Wisconsin, the Bruins hit four home runs and pushed their NCAA record single-season team home run total to 181.—
Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The Charlotte area received 2 to 2 1/2 inches of sometimes pounding rain this week, according to the National Weather Service.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2026
-
Larnach’s two-run double in the fourth inning on Tuesdsay split the gap and broke the game open as the Twins pounded the Washington Nationals 11-3 at Nationals Park.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The three main mayoral candidates seem to have finally prioritized the problem, or at least understand its value as a cudgel against each other.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The ostensible fear is that of identity hardening into a cudgel, foreshortening a character’s emotional palette.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Adams, who lived in Diggs' home while working for him, walked into the Dedham police station on December 16 alleging that two weeks earlier, Diggs had smacked her across the face and choked her.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
-
Ruiz, making his fourth start, has hit two home runs in 14 Marlins plate appearances after smacking seven in his first 621 in the big leagues.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bludgeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bludgeon. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
