as in cane
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
a farmer armed with a cudgel drove us off his land
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to bludgeon
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cudgel
Jc Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 22 Mar. 2026
As Californians look toward the 2026 governor’s race, candidates on both sides of the aisle are once again wielding crime as a political cudgel.
—Jose Bernal, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
Timothy Ryback, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
Before long, fairs had such attractions as cudgelling bouts, bearbaiting, and something called gouging.
—Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for cudgel
Noun
That blast and another nearby killed 13 Americans and hundreds of Afghans; the bombings became a political cudgel and a violent symbol of the messy end of the longest war in American history.
—Jc Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 22 Mar. 2026
As Californians look toward the 2026 governor’s race, candidates on both sides of the aisle are once again wielding crime as a political cudgel.
—Jose Bernal, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
Hitler exploited his 37% to gridlock legislative processes, to cudgel or crush the political opposition, and ultimately to undermine the country’s democratic structures.
—Timothy Ryback, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
Before long, fairs had such attractions as cudgelling bouts, bearbaiting, and something called gouging.
—Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for cudgel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cudgel
Noun
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Betye Saar practically levitates into the room wearing a Max Mara jacket that resembles a bird’s plumage, with a butter-yellow silk Dior dress grazing the ground behind her and a cane in her hand.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Bad Bunny went full costume, carrying a cane and dressing up as an older version of himself with gray hair and special effects makeup to add years to his face.—
Beatrice Dupuy,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
Verb
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Days ago, the Celtics looked poised to coast into the Eastern Conference semifinals after bludgeoning the 76ers in Game 4 of their first-round series.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
1 May 2026
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Authorities say Pamela Austin was found bludgeoned and stabbed to death, and Michael Austin appeared dead from a manner of suicide.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Berkshire Hathaway hosts its 2026 annual meeting — its first since Warren Buffett passed the baton as CEO to Greg Abel at the start of the year.—
Yun Li,Alex Harring,Sarah Min,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
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There used to be physical-comedy genius; there used to be simple, aspirational concepts; there used to be a passing of batons between past stars onto the next generation of them.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The 'merch hauls' on social media are awful, the desperate pathetic influencers trying to clout chase using the Masters are all awful.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2026
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But they are outnumbered by propagandists, trolls, anxious commentators, war-market gamblers, and clout chasers who, apparently, became experts on the Strait of Hormuz overnight.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Ukraine has been assailing oil terminals and refineries deep inside Russia with long-range drones and missiles, aiming to disrupt Moscow’s economy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
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The incident has raised suspicions here of a much broader involvement in Mexico by the CIA, an agency long assailed in Latin America because of its decades-long involvement in coups, assassination attempts and other undercover actions.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Then Ohtani chased a sinker off the plate and chopped a slow bouncer to Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, giving him an easy play at second.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
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Cover and process until finely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides as necessary.—
Maggie Meyer Glisan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Adams, who lived in Diggs' home while working for him, walked into the Dedham police station on December 16 alleging that two weeks earlier, Diggs had smacked her across the face and choked her.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
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Ruiz, making his fourth start, has hit two home runs in 14 Marlins plate appearances after smacking seven in his first 621 in the big leagues.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
3 May 2026
Verb
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The response by Israel to the incident of the idiot IDF soldier in Lebanon who whacked the statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer reflects well upon Israel, which immediately apologized, provided a new statue and jailed the soldier for 30 days.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
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Eventually, Deckinga had up to 10 accounts, as the social media service attempted to play whack-a-mole.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cudgel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cudgel. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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