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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cudgel
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
Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025
Democrats have hoped to use the massive legislation package, which cuts Medicaid and other social services along with extending tax cuts, as a cudgel against Republicans in the midterms.
—Miriam Waldvogel, The Hill, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cudgel
Noun
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
Verb
Sunny and Ulla have a tendency to bicker, and each can resort to brandishing cultural stereotypes as a cudgel when arguing with the other.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025
Democrats have hoped to use the massive legislation package, which cuts Medicaid and other social services along with extending tax cuts, as a cudgel against Republicans in the midterms.
—Miriam Waldvogel, The Hill, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cudgel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cudgel
Noun
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As Simeon and Tupe engaged in soothing effleurage and loudly vigorous tapotement, respectively, six Maori women surrounded their tables and sang folk songs in harmony, guided by an elder in the audience with a long, gnarled cane.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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Now 77, widowed, remarried and using hearing aids and a cane, Novy hasn’t seen an increase in his $1,575 monthly worker’s compensation check — nor have the other more than 300 other PTD recipients — since 2016.—
TOM KERTSCHER,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But there's a difference between helping a parent stay on track with a new regime and bludgeoning them with reminders.—
Ashley Milne-Tyte,
NPR,
21 Aug. 2025
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And yet even after the devastation unleashed on Iran’s nuclear sites by Trump, much remains unknown about the state of the Iranian nuclear program and the possibility that Iranian leaders, bludgeoned into a corner, could still scramble to develop a bomb.—
Vali Nasr,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Video footage verified by CNN shows the moment an officer draws his baton amid a struggle with one demonstrator as other officers tussle with protesters on the ground.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
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This is not just the violence of batons or bullets, but the quieter devastation inflicted by law through denial, deferral or bureaucratic neglect.—
Hansel Alejandro Aguilar,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There’s a real reckoning to be made about the casting process and how to move forward, especially given the type of influence and clout the show can create for its contestants.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
14 July 2025
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Kerry Carpenter clouted a key home run for the Detroit Tigers and Cole Ragans has pitched two terrific games for the Kansas City Royals among younger players stepping up.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes,
9 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Staci Ibarra, another warden who left the department in May — after she was put on administrative leave in the wake of an inmate’s death — assailed a practice in which maximum security inmates had their classification downgraded.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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Republicans historically have assailed federal efforts under Democrats to pick winners and losers in the broader economy.—
Kristina Karisch,
The Hill,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Henry rushed for well over 100 yards on his first-down carries alone, and Jackson chopped Buffalo with his arm and legs.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Sprinkle chopped banana evenly over the filling.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The raw tuna got smacked with a Stop Sale.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
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As of this publication, the final Conjuring movie starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren lands smack dab in the middle of the best and worst rated Conjuring Cinematic Universe films on Rotten Tomatoes.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The robot showcased exemplary skills with the bat, whacking the ball precisely in a rally of over 100 shots with human-like agility.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Sep. 2025
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After consulting with the stunt coordinator, who gave her permission, Cooke whacked him – hard.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cudgel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cudgel. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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