cudgel 1 of 2

noun

ˈkə-jəl How to pronounce cudgel (audio)
Definition of cudgelnext
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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cudgel

2 of 2

verb

as in to bludgeon

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cudgel
Noun
Linda wields her absolute power over Bradley like a cudgel, exploiting his helplessness to emotionally abuse and manipulate him. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026 For decades, it has been harnessed effectively by Republicans as a racist cudgel to generate fear. — Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 20 May 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
  1. cane
  2. bludgeon
  3. baton
  4. clout
  5. assail
  6. chop
  7. smack
  8. whack
Noun
  • Aceh’s Sharia court ordered the two people to be whipped with a rattan cane 21 times each for kissing without being married.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Snappers, snakes, toy pistols with caps and toy canes with caps are the only fireworks allowed.
    — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026
Definition of cane
Verb
  • France has bludgeoned the opposition, scoring 16 goals while conceding just two.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
  • Two days after Gerardi released the report, on April 26, 1998, he was bludgeoned to death in his home.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026
Definition of bludgeon
Noun
  • In one case reviewed by The Marshall Project, an incarcerated man reported being pepper-sprayed, choked, beaten with a baton and repeatedly called racial slurs by Kentucky officers who were later convicted.
    — Christie Thompson, NPR, 13 July 2026
  • In 1979, de Halden accepted an invitation to take up the baton of festival head at the Berlin Film Festival, leaving his wife to lead Nyon with his support until 1993.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 7 July 2026
Definition of baton
Verb
  • Holder clouted Chameera for three sixes in four deliveries to end the 19th and leave West Indies needing six runs for victory.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of clout
Verb
  • Roberts once signed on to a Kagan dissent that assailed the shadow docket.
    — Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 1 July 2026
  • It was passed following the signing of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which was implemented during the administration of then-President Barack Obama — an agreement Trump repeatedly assailed before pulling out of it in 2018.
    — Daniel Flatley, Fortune, 28 June 2026
Definition of assail
Verb
  • Berube says Democrats chopped the legs out from under someone who had brought people back into politics.
    — Tamara Keith, NPR, 14 July 2026
  • Picking up the ball 30 yards from goal, Messi set off on a mazy run, chopping one way and then the other, leaving a trail of players behind him.
    — Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of chop
Verb
  • Heavy raindrops flew sideways, smacking against the hood of my rain jacket and creating a nearly deafening white noise.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026
  • The Tampa Bay Rays third baseman smacked a 463-foot whopper late last month.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of smack
Verb
  • Pop, a Romanian, was rolling through another service game when Bobker whacked an easy backhand beyond the baseline.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • The experience was not entirely dissimilar to getting whacked in the skull.
    — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Definition of whack

Phrases Containing cudgel

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cuddy
cudgel
cudgeled
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Cite this Entry

“Cudgel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cudgel. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cudgel

Nglish: Translation of cudgel for Spanish Speakers

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