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
Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
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
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
The shooting unleashed a stream of political reaction, with Republicans quick to blame Pritzker and his fellow Democrats for championing the state’s sanctuary policies, using them as a political cudgel in expressing outrage over Gorman’s killing.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
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
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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Israel also drew international criticism after a soldier photographed himself bludgeoning a fallen statue of Jesus on the cross with an ax in southern Lebanon.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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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
Noun
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Harper and Fox each scored 24 points and Stephon Castle added 20 as the Spurs guards unflinchingly took the baton from their 7-foot-4 superstar and turned the rest of the night into a midrange clinic with an array of pull-up jumpers in and around the paint.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
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With the top line of Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis still in the starting blocks, as far as production goes, the second line has grabbed the baton and finished two legs of the race.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
10 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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Raman also assailed Bass over the fire, the worst in the city’s history.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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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
Verb
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In asking the state for budget help, the Mamdani administration wants the NYC Passthrough Entity tax credit chopped from 100 percent to 75 percent, with the city keeping the other 25 percent.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
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Recipe information Mix 1 shallot, finely chopped, juice of 1 lime, and a pinch of kosher salt in a bowl and let sit.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 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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But when the arena expands from stocks to anything-you-can-wager-on, the definition of inside information gets slippery, enforcement becomes legal whack-a-mole, and the edge goes to whoever moves fastest into the regulatory gaps.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
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And the crowd clearly expected that pucks whacking the nets would be at a premium in this series, too.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cudgel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cudgel. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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