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
  • The cemetery is home to Emmett Till, singing icon Dinah Washington and boxing great Ezzard Charles.
    — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • That's my thought and my expectation, but this is boxing and anything can happen.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 31 July 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
  • Yan bounded off the mound, slapping his hand against his glove several times, after the inning ended.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Once again, Yan did the whole jumping, landing, ground-slapping thing (no slide this time though).
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 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 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cudgeling

Nglish: Translation of cudgeling for Spanish Speakers

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