cudgeling 1 of 2

noun

variants or cudgelling
as in thrashing

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cudgeling

2 of 2

verb

variants or cudgelling
present participle of cudgel
as in boxing

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cudgeling
  1. thrashing
  2. boxing
  3. hammering
  4. smacking
  5. pounding
  6. whacking
  7. battering
  8. slapping
Noun
  • Kluivert notched a hat-trick in the 10-1 thrashing of Italy’s Genoa, with Scott, Unal (two goals each) and David Brooks scoring too.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Blågult had started so well, mind you, with a 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
Definition of thrashing
Verb
  • But for Gonzales, the gym has always been about more than boxing.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Klitschko, the former heavyweight boxing world champion, and Panettiere began dating in 2009 and got engaged in October 2013.
    — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of boxing
Noun
  • This song features a kick drum throughout, and the boosted bass takes it from background timekeeping to foreground hammering.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The Middle East faces chaotic power shifts as Iran, despite taking a hammering, refuses to back down, though its regional influence is expected to wane.
    — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of hammering
Verb
  • Carrington was ejected from the game in the first half after smacking Cunningham across the face during Cunningham's layup attempt.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Catcher Daniel Susac followed up Wednesday’s two-home-run game by smacking a two-run shot, and the Giants bullpen didn’t break down while protecting a 4-1 victory.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of smacking
Noun
  • Rucking targets both at once without the joint pounding of running or the recovery debt of hard gym sessions.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026
  • Rutted migration routes, carved by the constant pounding of animal hooves, littered northern Pennsylvania.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Definition of pounding
Verb
  • As the movie shows, local foodies would swarm the ocean whenever striped bass appeared, reeling them in with pieces of Wonder Bread and then whacking them on the head.
    — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Larry Hayes, 86, and Bill Moniz, 79, hit the tennis courts in Mountain View three to four times a week — whacking balls across the net as teammates for one to three hours a week.
    — Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Definition of whacking
Noun
  • In around a month, the batteries of thousands of mobile phones around the world will take an absolute battering.
    — Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The battering started at the outset with first-inning RBI singles provided by Loftin and Starling Marte after the Phillies blew a chance to end the frame by not completing a double play.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026
Definition of battering
Verb
  • Lionel Messi was fined by MLS for lightly slapping Union attacker Quinn Sullivan.
    — Matt Piper, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Universities are not just slapping corporate logos on uniforms and facilities but building entertainment districts that can be lucrative far beyond game days.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of slapping
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.

Browse Nearby Words

cudgeled one's brains (about)
cudgeling
cudgeling one's brains (about)
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Cite this Entry

“Cudgeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cudgeling. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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