as in licking
to strike repeatedly
he's a bit of a mess, but he says he bunged up the other guy in the fight even worse
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bunging 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 -
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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Archival footage illustrates, in pulse-pounding and nerve-rattling fashion, just how widespread calls for Rushdie’s murder were.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
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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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The novel is described as a reimagination of Cinderella, with Sophie and Benedict meeting at a masquerade ball, with Sophie hiding her identity because of her role as a maid.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
29 Jan. 2026
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In the late 1700s, when the Spanish built missions nearby at San Juan Bautista, Santa Clara, Carmel and Santa Cruz, natives often fled to avoid cruel conditions, tribal leaders have noted, hiding on Sargent Ranch, in the hills of Pacheco Pass, and other remote locations.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Vance often has served as an attack dog for the administration, including lashing out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an Oval Office visit.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
21 Jan. 2026
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Chappell took to social media to vent some of her ire, lashing out at the Biden administration.—
Alexandra Rockey Fleming,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Using clean hands and working over a colander, wring out the extra water and tear the soaked bread into pieces.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Oct. 2025
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Mary Catherine Kinney, who recently started working over there and has always been a big cheerleader in my corner, just as a friend and someone who likes music.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
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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This bumps displacement from the Shiver's 896cc up to 996cc, punching out 105 hp at 9,000 rpm and 66 lb-ft of torque (95 Nm) at 6,500 rpm.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Doncic played a role in both clutch shots, first whipping a one-handed pass behind his back across the court to Gabe Vincent, who shoveled the ball with one hand to Hachimura.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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Would the place that had been home for months withstand the whipping winds?—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In doing so, something incredible is revealed — the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower will coincide with a total solar eclipse.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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In a telephone call on Saturday, Hennessey estimated that 50 of the paper’s 200 journalists are covering the story daily, doing everything from tracking protests and monitoring immigration enforcement action to covering the significant business impact on the city.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bunging up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bunging%20up. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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