as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
an overhead branch suddenly fell and bonked him on the head
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bonk
That would mean, ideally, that no one would get bonked on the head.
—
Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2026
That depletes your carb stores prematurely, leaving you unable to accelerate and more likely to bonk.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 5 Mar. 2026
Their fight is to be continued next week, and whether or not another member of the deck team gets bonked on the head remains to be determined.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026
In other words, she got bonked on the head and now is the Terminator.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bonk
Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2026
That depletes your carb stores prematurely, leaving you unable to accelerate and more likely to bonk.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 5 Mar. 2026
Their fight is to be continued next week, and whether or not another member of the deck team gets bonked on the head remains to be determined.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026
In other words, she got bonked on the head and now is the Terminator.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bonk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonk
Verb
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And Silva hit a home run, her third, after attempting a bunt on the previous pitch.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
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The Seattle Seahawks have already hit three of their biggest needs in the 2026 NFL Draft, taking Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price on Thursday night in Round 1 and TCU safety Bud Clark and Arkansas cornerback Julian Neal in the second and third rounds on Friday.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Met Gala lands smack in the middle of that window, on Monday, May 4 — its traditional first-Monday-in-May slot.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
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The boy smacks him in the mouth and then immediately starts crying.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Draftniks slap grades on the quality of the picks based on their perceptions of where the player’s talent meets positional need.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Marcus Smart grabbed the ball and fired a two-handed pass to James, who bobbled it and slapped it to Luke Kennard.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At that house, no one answered a Statesman reporter’s knocks on Monday, but Davidson told the Statesman that his family owns the whole lot.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Apr. 2026
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Alex Hebda, of Wheatfield, and Chris Mercaldo, of Valparaiso, were knocking the balls around the pool table.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the loudness and frequency of cacerolazos—protests where people bang pots—across the island attest to the rage.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
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Jurors then heard sounds of banging and choking and Athena screaming and crying, the Star-Telegram reports.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Pistons punched back with a 20-5 run as the Magic at one point missed 13 straight shots from the floor.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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Brown again pulls his hands away from the cops before Maden starts punching him.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Eventually, Deckinga had up to 10 accounts, as the social media service attempted to play whack-a-mole.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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But, really, just being on the island feels like meditative wellness, including taking a golf club and a biodegradable ball from the island shop and whacking it into the sea.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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No one had to be told to clap their hands for Babe Ruth or Joe DiMaggio.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
My father clapped his shoulder.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bonk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonk. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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