as in thrashing
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1
as in smacking
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 pounding
to strike repeatedly
a boxer bludgeoning his opponent
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bludgeoning
Pamela Colloff,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
This game was expected to be a taut preview of the gold-medal game but has turned into a bludgeoning.
—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
10 Feb. 2026
To start the bludgeoning, Aledo quickly established the run game in its opening drive with runs of 30 and 44 yards — that set up a 9 yard rushing TD from quarterback Lincoln Tubbs.
—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Dec. 2025
Bates announced on Wednesday that Lively was sentenced after he was found guilty of first-degree murder for the fatal bludgeoning and stabbing of 68-year-old John Hall III in Northwest Baltimore City.
—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Nov. 2025
John Nogowski,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2026
The layoffs bludgeoning the tech industry continued this week as artificial intelligence reshapes the industry.
—
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
Days ago, the Celtics looked poised to coast into the Eastern Conference semifinals after bludgeoning the 76ers in Game 4 of their first-round series.
—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
1 May 2026
The wicketkeeper/batter struggled badly through the tournament and looked shorn of confidence even while bludgeoning his way to an unconvincing 25 off 17 balls at the Wankhede Stadium.
—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
As the man turns to leave, all of the gates shut, and a bull comes roaring toward the center, bludgeoning the man to death.
—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
15 Jan. 2026
Between the late evening hours Friday night and early morning Saturday, two teenagers and their 21-year-old friend allegedly conspired and carried out a brutal bludgeoning murder in Fruita.
—
The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel,
Denver Post,
25 Nov. 2025
Dennis, 53, was convicted of bludgeoning his ex-girlfriend Timwanika Lumpkins and UM linebacker Marlin Barnes to death with a shotgun in 1996.
—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
21 Nov. 2025
The statement rattles Abbott enough to let his guard down, which is how Nile gets to be on top of him, bludgeoning his head with the back of Abbott’s own gun after strangling him.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Nov. 2025
Noun
Norma Jane Lumpkin, whose long hair hung past her waist, was four decades into a life sentence for her role in the 1981 bludgeoning death of her husband.
—
Pamela Colloff,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
This game was expected to be a taut preview of the gold-medal game but has turned into a bludgeoning.
—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
10 Feb. 2026
To start the bludgeoning, Aledo quickly established the run game in its opening drive with runs of 30 and 44 yards — that set up a 9 yard rushing TD from quarterback Lincoln Tubbs.
—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Dec. 2025
Bates announced on Wednesday that Lively was sentenced after he was found guilty of first-degree murder for the fatal bludgeoning and stabbing of 68-year-old John Hall III in Northwest Baltimore City.
—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Nov. 2025
Verb
And that’s with those on-again, off-again guys in the gray shirts advertising Emirates missing call after call on the Spurs’ bludgeoning, stepping on, grabbing the guy down the stretch.
—
John Nogowski,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2026
The layoffs bludgeoning the tech industry continued this week as artificial intelligence reshapes the industry.
—
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
Days ago, the Celtics looked poised to coast into the Eastern Conference semifinals after bludgeoning the 76ers in Game 4 of their first-round series.
—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
1 May 2026
The wicketkeeper/batter struggled badly through the tournament and looked shorn of confidence even while bludgeoning his way to an unconvincing 25 off 17 balls at the Wankhede Stadium.
—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
As the man turns to leave, all of the gates shut, and a bull comes roaring toward the center, bludgeoning the man to death.
—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
15 Jan. 2026
Between the late evening hours Friday night and early morning Saturday, two teenagers and their 21-year-old friend allegedly conspired and carried out a brutal bludgeoning murder in Fruita.
—
The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel,
Denver Post,
25 Nov. 2025
Dennis, 53, was convicted of bludgeoning his ex-girlfriend Timwanika Lumpkins and UM linebacker Marlin Barnes to death with a shotgun in 1996.
—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
21 Nov. 2025
The statement rattles Abbott enough to let his guard down, which is how Nile gets to be on top of him, bludgeoning his head with the back of Abbott’s own gun after strangling him.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bludgeoning
Noun
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Canada’s 6-0 thrashing of Qatar in its second FIFA World Cup match would’ve been perfect on Thursday afternoon if not for an injury to Ismaël Koné that can only be described as horrifying.
-
Despite Norway being eliminated after the group stage, Haaland was the tournament’s top scorer – with all nine of his goals coming in a 12-0 thrashing of Honduras.
Verb
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Deputies responded to a report of a driver smacking his car into a guardrail in front of The Bridge Restaurant before driving away, according to a sheriff’s office news release.
-
As the match got away from her in the second set and the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd became increasingly hostile, Andreeva fully unraveled, smacking another ball towards the roof and asking members of her box to leave.
Verb
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Both Ghana and England will walk away with a point after Ghana managed to hold off England in a heart-pounding final few minutes of stoppage time.
-
Each time, my heart would start pounding.
Noun
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There is no hammering out a return with another team because the parameters and compensation are outlined based on the average annual value offered.
-
During a walk-through for reporters on Thursday, construction noises — particularly sanding and hammering — could be heard.
Verb
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The refs started handing out technical fouls like free samples, slapping Thomas and Hines-Allen with a double technical.
-
Prosecutors dropped all charges against a bouncer for allegedly slapping a bar patron in February.
Verb
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After milking, the cows would return themselves to their fresh pasture and spend the day grazing, snoozing, licking one another, and cooling off in the shade of pine trees.
-
Bring along a friend who wouldn’t be able to indulge in these kinds of finger-licking treats otherwise.
Noun
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Whether the bashing has any immediate political implications for the lawmakers remains to be seen.
-
But more recently, Japan-bashing has become the core of a strident Chinese nationalism, with disastrous consequences.
Verb
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Given the quick-hitting nature of the early morning showers, along with the very isolated nature of afternoon storms, not much rain is expected Friday.
-
After slashing its Scope 3 carbon emissions by 20 percent from a 2019 baseline and hitting its target five years ahead of schedule, the Uniqlo parent company has raised the stakes, aiming for an additional 10 percent reduction by 2030.
Cite this Entry
“Bludgeoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bludgeoning. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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