bully 1 of 3

bully

2 of 3

noun

bully

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word bully different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of bully are browbeat, bulldoze, cow, and intimidate. While all these words mean "to frighten into submission," bully implies intimidation through threats, insults, or aggressive behavior.

bullied into giving up their lunch money

When could browbeat be used to replace bully?

While the synonyms browbeat and bully are close in meaning, browbeat implies a cowing through arrogant, scornful, or contemptuous treatment.

browbeat the witness into a contradiction

In what contexts can bulldoze take the place of bully?

In some situations, the words bulldoze and bully are roughly equivalent. However, bulldoze implies an intimidating or an overcoming of resistance usually by urgings, demands, or threats.

bulldozed the city council into approving the plan

When might cow be a better fit than bully?

The synonyms cow and bully are sometimes interchangeable, but cow implies reduction to a state where the spirit is broken or all courage is lost.

not at all cowed by the odds against making it in show business

When is it sensible to use intimidate instead of bully?

The words intimidate and bully can be used in similar contexts, but intimidate implies inducing fear or a sense of inferiority into another.

intimidated by so many other bright freshmen

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 bully
Noun
Her feature debut is about boy bands and Toronto, friendship and motherhood, puberty and bullies. Will Leitch, Vulture, 19 June 2025 Every time anybody would raise an alternate idea, Nasser would bark at them and intimidate and bully. Jack Lang, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Verb
This is all a reference to Weak Hero Class 2, in which Park stars as Si-eun, an introverted high school student who takes on the school bullies. Kayti Burt, Time, 11 June 2025 Kids with alopecia areata get bullied in school every day. Shamsha Damani, Health, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for bully
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bully
Adjective
  • That could mean even greater affordability for smaller businesses adopting AI for their businesses.
    Bernice Ooi, CNBC, 26 June 2025
  • That was the name of one of my great friends growing up in Brooklyn.
    Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • But throwing out our precious rights and freedoms, and allowing masked, unidentified thugs to roam our streets detaining people at will is absolutely not the answer.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2025
  • In an empty warehouse somewhere, McKenna leaves Stabler alone with Vincent Mathis, Emery’s thug.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 June 2025
Verb
  • Federal employees widely abused the Biden administration‘s telework policies, according to an inspector general report released by the Office of Personnel Management on Friday.
    Haisten Willis, The Washington Examiner, 20 June 2025
  • In the procedural drama, Rodríguez brings to life a multi-layered and solemn character shaped by a traumatic childhood — abused within the foster care system, with no knowledge of his origins, and struggling with severe dyslexia.
    Veronica Villafañe, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • When Chinese critics of the government speak out, they are regularly harassed and intimidated — even in our country, where Chinese dissidents have been threatened by agents of their government.
    Jovante Teague, Sun Sentinel, 17 June 2025
  • An escalation in political violence The shootings come as political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated amid deep political divisions.
    Obed Lamy, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
Adjective
  • His terrific performance was a similar problem for the Pacers.
    Tony East, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • The 6-foot-5, 221-pounder not only comes with ideal size and above-average athleticism but also terrific arm talent.
    Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • As soon as the gunfight starts, the audience knows who the enemies are.
    Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 18 June 2025
  • In a pre-recorded video message, Khamenei claimed that American involvement signals Israel's weakness, adding that Iran's retaliatory actions have weakened the enemy.
    Amanda Castro Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • Clayface is shape-shifting villain in the Batman comics and got his introduction as part of Detective Comics #40 in June 1940.
    Justin Kroll, Deadline, 17 June 2025
  • Welcome to the Post-Trust Era A social media app isn’t the villain.
    Ankush Chowdhary, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • People who get mistreated have usually done something to bring it on themselves.
    Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 20 June 2025
  • As the noise pierced through the house day and night, keeping her children awake, Natalie was concerned about dogs possibly being mistreated nearby.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bully. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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