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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of 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
Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 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
The 12-30 Nets have lost 11 of their last 13, including a 120-66 bludgeoning against the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 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
Most historians believe Gunness would first poison her suitors, then finish them with an ax or by bludgeoning — afterward dismembering the corpses and burying what remained.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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
Now, the foreign visitors are mostly gone, a lack of jet fuel bludgeoning the critical tourism sector.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 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
The 12-30 Nets have lost 11 of their last 13, including a 120-66 bludgeoning against the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 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
Most historians believe Gunness would first poison her suitors, then finish them with an ax or by bludgeoning — afterward dismembering the corpses and burying what remained.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bludgeoning
Noun
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The first was at Wolverhampton Wanderers, then the second was in the closing stages of the thrashing of Crystal Palace at Elland Road.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Stevenson played his best game in the Pats’ regular-season finale, a 38-10 thrashing of Miami.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Her furious attempts to extricate herself from Ramirez ended with her smacking her head on the parking lot asphalt and Ramirez hitting her in the right eye, according to the arrest report.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
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Shepard attached the head of a 6-iron golf club to his sample collecting tool and was recorded smacking a couple golf balls across the lunar landscape.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Surprise, surprise, the drums started pounding for the SOB Act shortly after (though various legislative attempts have floated since Proposition 12 was passed) backed by a Midwestern congresswoman from a Big Pork state.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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The team became the spectacle of Havana, with Maduro’s Gran Stadium filling with the sound of pounding drums and a conga line snaking through the crowd, as baseball felt more like a festival than a game.—
Tyler Carmona,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Baupost Group’s Seth Klarman picked up Amazon in the fourth quarter, a bet that has yet to work out for the value investor this year as tech stocks take a hammering.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
17 Feb. 2026
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At Anitra Coulter Blunt's Cedar Park home, the hammering and sawing is music to this musician's ears.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Everyone erupted into cheers, slapping their 14-year-old brother on the back and jostling him playfully.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Mar. 2026
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Itoje was sin-binned in the 64th for illegally slapping the ball in a maul and 13 men were playing Italy's 15.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The spotless streets are polished nightly by the feet of families licking ice cream.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Mar. 2026
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On April 30, 2025, the dog was reportedly licking its tail and lethargic.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Which seems like the anxiety Chalamet was trying to express with his needless opera bashing.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
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Several former players have had enough of the Bam bashing.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After hitting 11 of their first 17 attempts, the Bison finished 14 of 29.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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The problem is the film just keeps hitting this same note over and over without ever caring to explore the psychology that underpins this.—
Chase Hutchinson,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bludgeoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bludgeoning. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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