as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
he's a bit of a mess, but he says he bunged up the other guy in the fight even worse
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Recent Examples of bung up
Yeah, around Hampstead, driving people crazy with the whistle until it was bunged up and stopped by the sound department.
—
Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bung up
Verb
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Mitch West, meanwhile, was licking his wounds on Monday night, when snow still hadn’t touched down in his region of South Carolina.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
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England’s Test team are still licking their wounds after their humbling Down Under.—
Sam Dalling,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Forecasters are warning the damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival a hurricane.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
-
By Jason Mackey Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PALM BEACH GARDENS — The pop of a catcher’s mitt mixed with saws screeching and hammers pounding provides an appropriate soundtrack inside Paul Skenes’ offseason workout facility, a baseball-lover’s paradise and an encapsulation of his unique personality.—
Tribune News Service,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Didn't seem to be hiding anything.—
Sarah Prior,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
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But hiding behind this benign climate state was all that titanic power flowing through the climate system.—
Adam Frank,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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San Benito County Sheriff Eric Taylor took to social media Thursday to lash out at bystanders who record police encounters and critics of law enforcement, following a violent Wednesday crime spree that ended with a suspect dead and a police officer wounded.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
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But the evidence suggests that people who rely on bursts of venting tend to stay angrier for longer, and are more likely to lash out aggressively.—
Will Barker,
TheWeek,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The horn section sounds deep and crisp, punching out riffs on Kupka’s brawny bari foundation.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
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But two plays later, Drake Maye was lunging forward on a run and had the ball punched out.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sure, some out there were robbing old people, choking people, robbing them, beating them up, taking their money, but Troy just wasn’t like that.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Jalen Brunson scored 28 points and the New York Knicks dominated the fourth quarter to beat the Sacramento Kings 103-87 on Tuesday night for their third straight victory.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For southern states less equipped for the cold, the forecast sparks fears of a repeat of the 2021 Texas freeze or the bitterly cold winter storm that battered New Orleans in January 2025.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
25 Jan. 2026
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When the Dolphins’ battered Hope Machine is polished and humming again.—
Greg Cote
January 22,
Miami Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When a dog repeatedly wags and whips its tail against hard surfaces, the tip can split open, bruise or break.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Benbrook whips Diamond Hill-Jarvis Benbrook stayed on pace for a playoff berth in District 8-4A as the Lady Bobcats thumped Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis 55-7.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bung up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bung%20up. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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