bonk

verb

ˈbäŋk How to pronounce bonk (audio)
Definition of bonknext
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

Relevance

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 bonk Or picture playing a round of knockout basketball with Caitlin Clark when you’ve been known to bonk the majority of your free throws. — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Apr. 2026 With eight minutes left in the contest, Kempe bonked Cale Makar in the back of the head, then went to the box for mixing it up with captain Gabe Landeskog, who came to Makar’s defense, shortly thereafter. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2026 Watch the baby birds bonking at the video at the top of the story. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026 That depletes your carb stores prematurely, leaving you unable to accelerate and more likely to bonk. — Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 5 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bonk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonk
  1. hit
  2. smack
  3. slap
  4. knock
  5. bang
  6. punch
  7. whack
  8. clap
Verb
  • That was a new record and only once before has the number of moves hit double figures.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Bryce Eldridge hit his 12th home run, an impressive opposite-field shot.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of hit
Verb
  • The storm caught the state off guard, having made a sudden shift to the east and smack into the core of the state after most forecasters had projected it to make landfall much farther to the north.
    — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Taylor Trammell then smacked his first triple of the year off the brick wall in right field before Allen sent him home with the go-ahead run off Keaton Winn (2-3).
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of smack
Verb
  • In response, Smith, 57, approached Rock on the Oscars stage and slapped him across the face.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Section 301 has also opened the door to new country-specific tariffs targeted at Brazil, at 25%, while Section 338 was cited to slap an extra 50% import tax on certain Canadian goods.
    — Kent Jones, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of slap
Verb
  • Northerly breezes will knock the humidity levels down a bit with dewpoint temps in the mid-60s.
    — Bill Kelly, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Moments later, Sikorski walked past the teen girl who was recording the incident and her phone was knocked to the ground.
    — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of knock
Verb
  • That looked like all Boise would need until Madison’s Aaron Edwards banged home a world-class equalizer in the 83rd minute, firing a shot from the left edge of the box and tucking it inside the right post.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Where grass grows right up to a tree’s trunk, the lawnmower will inevitably follow, banging and chipping the bark or scalping bark off roots that are exposed above the soil.
    — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of bang
Verb
  • Speaking to reporters before heading out on a campaign bus tour in Maine, Collins was asked about recent reports of a 1988 incident in which Jackson faced misdemeanor charges for punching an unnamed man.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Aug. 2026
  • MASSive congratulations to Bridgewater Joe Lazaro LL on punching their ticket to the Little League Baseball World Series, presented by @TMobile!
    — CBS News, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of punch
Verb
  • As the movie shows, local foodies would swarm the ocean whenever striped bass appeared, reeling them in with pieces of Wonder Bread and then whacking them on the head.
    — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Poor guy is probably just trying to watch the home run derby in peace and just got drive by whacked by me.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 July 2026
Definition of whack
Verb
  • Syrians gathered around the court in Damascus, chanting, clapping and waving the Syrian flag as news of the sentences spread.
    — Kinda Makieh, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The teams were the townspeople, clapping for a wardrobe nobody could actually see.
    — Jeremy Macliver, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of clap

Browse Nearby Words

boning (up)
bonk
bonked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bonk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonk. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All