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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bonk
An argument ensues between two of the officials that ends when the not-quite-dead man gets bonked on the head with a mace.
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David Plazas, The Tennessean, 17 Apr. 2024
In a split second, Jaden decided to one-up Carolyn’s cruelty and bonked her in the head repeatedly with the fire poker.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 24 July 2024
That pickleball game on the driveway was pure pandemonium, and Joan almost got bonked in the face with a ball.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 20 Sep. 2024
Miss Manners cannot entirely guarantee, however, that your finger will not bonk your nose instead — particularly after the second or third old-fashioned.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bonk
David Plazas, The Tennessean, 17 Apr. 2024
In a split second, Jaden decided to one-up Carolyn’s cruelty and bonked her in the head repeatedly with the fire poker.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 24 July 2024
That pickleball game on the driveway was pure pandemonium, and Joan almost got bonked in the face with a ball.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 20 Sep. 2024
Miss Manners cannot entirely guarantee, however, that your finger will not bonk your nose instead — particularly after the second or third old-fashioned.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bonk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonk
Verb
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If approved, the settlement would be among the largest in a wave of lawsuits over the past decade as governments and others sought to hold drugmakers, wholesalers and pharmacies accountable for the opioid epidemic that started rising in the years after OxyContin hit the market in 1996.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Fortune,
18 June 2025
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One eyewitness, Mohammed Abu Abed, said that a group of people was hit by an airstrike.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
18 June 2025
Verb
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The Giants haven’t had a 30-homer hitter in a single season since Bonds smacked 45 in 2004.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
16 June 2025
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In testing with a dozen real-world examples of ransomware, Bitdefender smacked down all but one.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
9 June 2025
Verb
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These nimble vehicles are built to precise specs, and capturing racing footage from the driver's point of view isn't as simple as slapping a GoPro on and calling it a day.—
Julian Chokkattu,
Wired News,
16 June 2025
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The experience was shared on Reddit, where the passenger detailed how the person seated behind him, in first class nonetheless, repeatedly tapped and slapped the person's head and hat to awaken him to help retrieve a lost earbud.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Marc Lopez, a former prosecutor who is currently a defense attorney specializing in domestic violence and drunk driving cases in Indianapolis, said there are very few circumstances in which an officer will knock on your door out of nowhere and need to get inside.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
18 June 2025
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Immediately after being traded and added to the team’s group chat, the chirps started flying. Bennett, who knocked Marchand out of a couple games of the playoffs last year with a controversial hit, was the first victim.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Usually, the kids ended up banging their heads on the surface, earning a headache rather than a shopping spree.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
14 June 2025
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Mookie Betts spent the first two months of the season banging his head against a wall, trying to figure out what was wrong with his swing.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
12 June 2025
Verb
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The company has achieved its traction with just five employees, all based in San Francisco, leveraging AI tools like Cursor, Windsurf, and Claude to punch above their weight class.—
Josipa Majic Predin,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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Today's talkers Coastal Carolina is the first team in the College World Series to punch its ticket to the semifinals.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
17 June 2025
Verb
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The plainness of the text there has a certain force — there are times where whacking a theme with a big hammer is the best course of action.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
13 June 2025
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One pitch later, Pete Alonso whacked a hanging curveball from Knack for a two-run homer.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2025
Verb
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People did not seem especially enthusiastic in clapping for him, but the crowd was willing to give it up for New York City.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
17 June 2025
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Listen to this article On a recent Saturday, Sketchbook Brewing Company’s Evanston taproom was filled to standing-room capacity by an enthusiastic crowd that clapped and danced along to performances of music by Christina Aguilera, Avril Lavigne, Lady Gaga and more.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bonk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonk. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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