bludgeons 1 of 2

noun

plural of bludgeon
as in batons
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment guards armed with bludgeons roamed the compound

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bludgeons

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bludgeon
1
as in slaps
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

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2
as in licks
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 bludgeons
Noun
There’s Xi Jinping mogging Bibi Netanyahu while deafeningly aggro phonk bludgeons away; hype montages paint Marx as history’s greatest theorist and pair Zohran Mamdani quotes with Playboi Carti Die Lit cuts. — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
Lo then bludgeons Richard in the head with a metal pipe and kills him. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bludgeons
  1. batons
  2. slaps
  3. licks
  4. canes
  5. smacks
  6. whips
  7. knocks
  8. hides
Noun
  • Tensions escalated after protesters marching toward Parliament were met with a police crackdown earlier in the week, with officers using batons and tear gas to disperse crowds.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • On Monday, as CJP representatives held an initial round of talks with a senior government official, police used batons and tear gas in an attempt to stop demonstrators from marching toward the parliament.
    — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 24 July 2026
Definition of batons
Verb
  • Helmut Haller, West Germany vs England, 1966 Ray Wilson misjudges his headed clearance, Haller gathers it on the edge of the box and, just before Bobby Moore can close him down, slaps a right-footed shot into the far corner.
    — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Wilhelm enters the room, removes most of his clothing and gets into bed with her, slaps her, pushes her away and then caresses her face and cradles her.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Definition of slaps
Verb
  • Food stands also debuted that year, with ribs sizzling along with the blues licks.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 9 June 2026
  • At one point in a dinner scene, Shields' Erika licks Joey's fingers.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
Definition of licks
Noun
  • Protesters clashed briefly with police on the streets of New Delhi late Wednesday, with officers firing tear gas and wielding canes to push them back.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 23 July 2026
  • As a final tip, separate new canes and fruiting canes to make pruning easier for yourself down the road.
    — Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 18 July 2026
Definition of canes
Verb
  • The boy smacks him in the mouth and then immediately starts crying.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
  • An attack rears its ugly head, and the security team smacks it down.
    — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of smacks
Verb
  • Instead of floating crosses in, Saka either whips his deliveries low near the six-yard box or works a slightly more central position to cut the ball back with a firmer connection.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 26 June 2026
  • The vessel bends, blocks, and whips the wind into complex micro-currents before the air ever hits the sails.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026
Definition of whips
Verb
  • One of the marks of Charles is his ability to keep getting up when the world knocks him down.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2026
  • Thekla then strikes Nightingale with the microphone and attempts to hit her with the championship belt, but Nightingale knocks her away.
    — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of knocks
Verb
  • The aggregate hides what exactly is falling and what might still be holding up.
    — Victor Karpenko, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Freeland resembles Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, drawing back the curtain that hides the smoke machine when the Wizard of Oz is not a wizard at all, but a carnival illusionist distracting the population.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 22 July 2026
Definition of hides

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Cite this Entry

“Bludgeons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bludgeons. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bludgeons

Nglish: Translation of bludgeons for Spanish Speakers

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