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
Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Children are both a key motivator and cudgel for these men.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
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 House spending bill would use that power as a cudgel, halting congressional approval of FASB’s budget (see page 108) until the accounting agency repeals its new disclosure rules.
—Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Children are both a key motivator and cudgel for these men.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
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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To help your plants establish, make sure to get potted raspberries in the ground at least 4 to 6 weeks before frost is expected, or choose bare root canes, which are dormant and can be planted even later in the season, as long as the ground isn't frozen.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Nov. 2025
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While many families serve yeast rolls or buttery garlic bread alongside their main courses, the dinners eaten around the oak table of my childhood featured pillowy soft biscuits with a side of cane syrup.—
Ivy Odom,
Southern Living,
1 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Dennis, 53, was convicted of bludgeoning his ex-girlfriend Timwanika Lumpkins and UM linebacker Marlin Barnes to death with a shotgun in 1996.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
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Bichette bludgeoned it for a three-run home run, bringing Dodgers manager Dave Roberts from the dugout to remove Ohtani amid delirium.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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That performance included baton twirlers and horses galloping through the crowd.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025
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People have decided who is going to be the next person, and then just passing down the baton.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The recall was widely seen as a litmus test for how much clout the national conservative group can wield in non-partisan local politics.—
Maritza Dominguez,
AZCentral.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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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
Verb
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Cuomo, Sliwa and other critics assailed him over his vehement criticism of Israel ’s military actions in Gaza.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
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Controversy follows Cheney While Cheney's disposition was never particularly sunny, critics assailed the vice president as a relentlessly grim figure.—
Don Gonyea,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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To speed up the decomposition process in the compost pile, chop the plants into small pieces and tear apart the soil mass.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Nov. 2025
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As for Quavo himself, the Atlanta rapper recently chopped it up with Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young for Billboard and The Player Tribune’s first episode of their Switching Stages video series.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But, every once in a while, I’ll get smacked in the face by one.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
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An arrest warrant has been issued for a high school football player accused of intentionally smacking one of his opponents on the head at their game, according to investigators in North Florida.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Meta stock got whacked after CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the company's plan to spend about $71 billion on AI chips and other expenses in 2025.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
30 Oct. 2025
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Fed up with Nicky’s dramatics, Lester uses his elevator crank and whacks the former hard in the back of his neck.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cudgel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cudgel. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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