as in punches
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
dealt his opponent a haymaker that sent him reeling across the boxing ring
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Recent Examples of haymakers
The two heavyweights exchanged haymakers before Olivier caught Reaves with right hand and sent him to the ice.
—
Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
An all-time great and a two-time MVP trading haymakers in the form of go-ahead scores in the fourth quarter of a win-and-in environment.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Fairview came out throwing haymakers, dazing the Bruins in the early going.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2025
Those fans who arrived after kickoff missed a chaotic beginning as the talented offenses delivered haymakers.
—Matt Roy, Boston Herald, 22 Nov. 2025
These teams are trading haymakers.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025
Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
An all-time great and a two-time MVP trading haymakers in the form of go-ahead scores in the fourth quarter of a win-and-in environment.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Fairview came out throwing haymakers, dazing the Bruins in the early going.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2025
Those fans who arrived after kickoff missed a chaotic beginning as the talented offenses delivered haymakers.
—Matt Roy, Boston Herald, 22 Nov. 2025
These teams are trading haymakers.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haymakers
Noun
-
Punch Makes a Comeback Exotic and nostalgic punches are taking center stage in home entertaining, offering both visual appeal and easy service.—
Colleen Sullivan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Jan. 2026
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The humanoid performs spins, punches, one-legged stances, rapid kicks, and low sweeps, then transitions into aerobatic sequences.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Coming out the second half the teams continued to trade blows, after the Rockets took a 32-30 lead Xaverian responded with a 15-5 run to end the quarter to take a 45-37 lead.—
Mukala Kabongo,
Boston Herald,
4 Jan. 2026
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The Anteaters withstood an early jolt from Cal State Fullerton in their Big West Conference matchup, but came back with several blows of their own in an 86-64 win at Titan Gym.—
Dan Arritt,
Oc Register,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Villaraigosa has not been afraid to take swipes at other Democrats in the gubernatorial primary.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Wipe in circular motions with a lint-free microfiber cloth to loosen grime, then finish with long, horizontal swipes.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
1 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
A couple of good back slaps and thumps from the adoring crowd.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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Touted as the second-highest fine ever levied by the board, many observers struggled to view it as anything but the gentlest of wrist slaps.—
DAVID AMSDEN,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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From there, his sound became one of the most sought-after in the industry, shaping hits that blurred the lines between grit and groove.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Manow does a bump of K on the table to relax while Clateman shows me a high-tech nicotine vape that displays music videos and also rates the intensity of your hits with a numerical score.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Researchers are planning larger, longer studies to see whether a one-time gene-editing drug could safely protect people against heart attacks and strokes for a lifetime.—
NPR,
NPR,
8 Nov. 2025
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Doctors track the thickness of the carotid artery wall as an early warning sign for clogged arteries that can lead to heart attacks and strokes.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Deeper down the road the slap of the drooping tropical tree branches against the windshield are like punishing whacks to the face for trying to force a metaphor.—
Matt Negrin,
Rolling Stone,
20 Sep. 2025
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Brush off hair and debris from the surface, then give it a few whacks against the inside of the trash can to knock out some of the dust.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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These are still very good numbers for a 17-year-old freshman in college hockey whom NHL Central Scouting’s latest update lists at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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One-year-olds are usually 27 to 31 inches tall; Sommer measures 26 inches and weighs 18 pounds.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Haymakers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haymakers. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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