1
as in smacked
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
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2
as in pounded
to strike repeatedly
a boxer bludgeoning his opponent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bludgeoned
Bichette bludgeoned it for a three-run home run, bringing Dodgers manager Dave Roberts from the dugout to remove Ohtani amid delirium.
—
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Found lying under a pine tree in her backyard the next morning, she had been repeatedly bludgeoned with a golf club — and stabbed with a broken piece of it — after a night out looking to cause some pre-Halloween mischief with friends who lived in the neighborhood.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025
Grim attacked her with a hammer and a knife and raped and killed her, according to court records, which say she had been bludgeoned 18 times and stabbed 11 times, mostly in the heart.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Alubidy grabbed a trailer tow hitch and bludgeoned the 5-foot-tall, 130-pound victim.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 15 Oct. 2025
That may sound unfathomable to any non-comic reader who watched Steven Yeun's Mark Grayson get bludgeoned, maimed, and nearly disemboweled (sorry, Atom Eve) in an episode-long, cities-spanning fight with Thragg's berzerker warrior, Conquest (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025
Then his head was bludgeoned enough to kill him.
—Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Oct. 2025
Bill Clinton bludgeoned congressional Republicans with the 1995 shutdowns to recapture momentum and set in motion his successful reelection campaign.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 2 Oct. 2025
The Yankees bludgeoned the Rockies, 13-1, on a Saturday afternoon at Coors Field.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2025
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Found lying under a pine tree in her backyard the next morning, she had been repeatedly bludgeoned with a golf club — and stabbed with a broken piece of it — after a night out looking to cause some pre-Halloween mischief with friends who lived in the neighborhood.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025
Grim attacked her with a hammer and a knife and raped and killed her, according to court records, which say she had been bludgeoned 18 times and stabbed 11 times, mostly in the heart.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Alubidy grabbed a trailer tow hitch and bludgeoned the 5-foot-tall, 130-pound victim.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 15 Oct. 2025
That may sound unfathomable to any non-comic reader who watched Steven Yeun's Mark Grayson get bludgeoned, maimed, and nearly disemboweled (sorry, Atom Eve) in an episode-long, cities-spanning fight with Thragg's berzerker warrior, Conquest (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025
Then his head was bludgeoned enough to kill him.
—Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Oct. 2025
Bill Clinton bludgeoned congressional Republicans with the 1995 shutdowns to recapture momentum and set in motion his successful reelection campaign.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 2 Oct. 2025
The Yankees bludgeoned the Rockies, 13-1, on a Saturday afternoon at Coors Field.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bludgeoned
Verb
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The group has smacked around quarterbacks, tackled well and dominated most key areas but hasn’t taken the ball away like an elite defense.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
4 Jan. 2026
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We’re getting smacked around by teams by 30, 40 points.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Celtics pounded the paint with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, a pair of bruising bigs who also can force the issue from 3-point range despite their lumbering dispositions.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
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Trump seems to have arrived, on his own, at the same understanding of geography and politics that was pounded into the heads of Soviet schoolchildren, including Putin and me.—
M. Gessen,
Mercury News,
7 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
-
Its tail slapped the surface of the water, marking la paiche’s territory.—
Noah Lederman,
Robb Report,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Some even licked the candy to soften it -- a trick used by contestants in the show.—
Hakyung Kate Lee,
ABC News,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Napkins were crumpled; plates were licked.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Iowa then got three good looks from the three-point line in the final seconds but couldn't hit the tying shot.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Despite their franchise history dating back to the mid-70s (via Kansas City and Colorado), which includes essentially all of the highest-scoring era in league history, the New Jersey Devils have never had a player hit either of the game’s most basic offensive milestones.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trump has also repeatedly lashed out over the state’s incarceration of Tina Peters, the former county clerk convicted of state felonies related to her attempts to prove discredited election conspiracies shared by the president.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
9 Jan. 2026
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The California economy was lashed all year by tumult in Hollywood, which has been hit by a slowdown in filming as well as media and entertainment industry consolidation.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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White egrets stood in the shallows, a woodpecker knocked somewhere nearby, and pairs of green parrots flew upstream, beating their wings in time.—
Stanley Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
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He was eventually knocked free of the vehicle, and suffered significant lacerations that required 33 stitches, the official said.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While eating at the restaurant with her parents, Black begged for her own tasty drink and the bartender whipped one up, naming it after her.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
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Oversized boards and platters layered with cheeses, charcuterie, fresh produce, whipped butters and compotes serve as both menu and décor, encouraging guests to snack, wander, and eat at their own pace.—
Colleen Sullivan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bludgeoned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bludgeoned. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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