bludgeon 1 of 2

noun

ˈblə-jən How to pronounce bludgeon (audio)
Definition of bludgeonnext
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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bludgeon

2 of 2

verb

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

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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 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
By bludgeoning the Texas Rangers, 11-2, the Astros secured the regular-season series over their intrastate rival and own the tiebreaker. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 Two days after Gerardi released the report, on April 26, 1998, he was bludgeoned to death in his home. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for bludgeon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bludgeon
  1. cane
  2. slap
  3. lick
  4. baton
  5. hit
  6. pound
  7. cudgel
  8. smack
Noun
  • This is also the time to thin out crowded canes and remove any that are too weak to bear fruit.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026
  • There is no greater cautionary tale than Australia’s cane toads, whose now 200-million strong population continues to wreak havoc 91 years after being introduced to deal with the country’s cane beetle problem.
    — Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of cane
Verb
  • In response, Smith, 57, approached Rock on the Oscars stage and slapped him across the face.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Section 301 has also opened the door to new country-specific tariffs targeted at Brazil, at 25%, while Section 338 was cited to slap an extra 50% import tax on certain Canadian goods.
    — Kent Jones, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of slap
Verb
  • Later, a woman protractedly licks blue ice cream from a cone, her attempts thwarted by ferocious gusts of wind and sand.
    — Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Griffin diligently washes his hands after his dogs lick them, especially before picking up a slice of pizza.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of lick
Noun
  • The Public Defender's Office said Govindbhai, without double-checking the plate numbers, walked to the driver's side door and struck the window with his baton four times, smashing the glass.
    — Jose Fabian, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Some pushed against barricades and scuffled with police, who responded by firing tear gas rounds, using water cannon and beating them with batons, TV footage showed.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of baton
Verb
  • Moehrig responded with 103 tackles — one off his 2024 total — while establishing career highs with 14 tackles for loss, three sacks and seven quarterback hits.
    — Joseph Person, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The height of hurricane season looms, and Gulf Coast refineries have in the past been derailed by major hurricanes hitting the Gulf Coast.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of hit
Verb
  • Even the region's major interstate highway, I-70, was partly shut down after a section of it buckled under the weight of pounding rain.
    — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The robust menu aims to satiate hungry tourists who’ve spent long hours pounding the black sampietrini cobblestones of the vast open-air museum that is the Eternal City.
    — Alexandra Kirkman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of pound
Noun
  • While lawmakers have mostly thrown their backing behind the bill, some are wary of granting the president even more leeway to impose import taxes as a foreign policy cudgel.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 31 July 2026
  • Politicians on the right, from Bailey to Trump, have frequently used Illinois’ move to eliminate money bond as a cudgel against Democrats, blaming Chicago’s violent crime on the change.
    — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
Definition of cudgel
Verb
  • The storm caught the state off guard, having made a sudden shift to the east and smack into the core of the state after most forecasters had projected it to make landfall much farther to the north.
    — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Taylor Trammell then smacked his first triple of the year off the brick wall in right field before Allen sent him home with the go-ahead run off Keaton Winn (2-3).
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of smack

Browse Nearby Words

bludged
bludgeon
bludgeoned
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Cite this Entry

“Bludgeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bludgeon. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of bludgeon for Spanish Speakers

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