Thesaurus results for BRAINING

braining

verb

present participle of brain

as in cudgeling

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for braining

Verb

Individual stakes for each plant should be installed before planting your dahlias to avoid spearing the tubers.

— Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 July 2026
His ideas are later used to discourage violently spearing food with a knife, and instead promote the pacifist chopstick.

— New York Times, New York Times, 17 July 2026

Definition of spearing

Verb

Brennan was previously convicted of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon after stabbing her 76-year-old mother to death with a butcher knife in Hollywood in 2014, according to a probable cause affidavit.

— Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
Sanders admitted to stabbing her sons to death in February 2018.

— Mike Toole, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of stabbing

Verb

So kudos to the extras who steal scenes from them in the background, flailing like avant-garde dancers when a vicious mental parasite leaps from grandmothers to joggers to security guards on a quest to find something awful.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Flushed and flailing during Schauf’s final countdown, her gum-chewing getting a little more exaggerated with each second, Cooper quipped that her handiwork might be better sealed under a closed casket.

— John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026

Definition of flailing

Verb

The president has responded to the MAGA criticism by lashing out repeatedly at dissenters, prompting Greene – once a top Trump supporter – not to run for reelection and Massie to lose his primary.

— Zac Anderson, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
Koivun launched himself into the lead at TPC Twin Cities by lashing a 305-yard approach shot to 12 feet on the par-5 12th hole.

— Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 28 July 2026

Definition of lashing

Verb

The Post underwent a round of severe layoffs earlier this year, slashing a third of its workforce, ending its books coverage, and slimming down its metro and international staffs, among other cuts.

— Ted Johnson, Deadline, 31 July 2026
Amazon just put a variety of MacBooks on sale, slashing up to $500 off the most expensive MacBook Pro configurations.

— Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 29 July 2026

Definition of slashing

Verb

Battered cars with numbers sprayed on their sides are whipping around the dirt track of the Lebanon Valley Speedway, loose fenders flopping like overgrown bangs in the swirling dust.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
Iguanas usually go viral for other reasons Iguanas are usually quick-moving and run away from their would-be captors with their long tails whipping behind them.

— Julia Gomez, USA Today, 24 July 2026

Definition of whipping

Verb

In the game after Newcastle’s sapping 2-1 home defeat to their local rivals on April 12 and after a long gap between fixtures, Howe’s team travelled to Crystal Palace and lost again.

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Unlike basketball or baseball, pro football is far from the point where regular-season contests become meaningless, but that hasn’t stopped its fans from debating whether the NFL is sapping some of the magic that comes from football’s scarcity.

— Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026

Definition of sapping

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.

Browse Nearby Words

braininess

braining

brainless

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Braining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/braining. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of braining

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on braining

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nurture

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes