1
as in to abuse
to abuse physically
demonstrators who claimed that they had been mauled by the police
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
the irate store owner was mauling the shoplifter when the police showed up
Synonyms & Similar 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 maul
Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
The film features a scene in which Luke Skywalker is savagely mauled by the yetilike Wampa.
—Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Mar. 2026
Vitas Carosella, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Minutes later, Hanover scored back-to-back tries with near identical mauls down the sideline.
—Marcello Rossetti, Boston Herald, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for maul
Verb
The ban was previously enacted in 2009 after a resident was mauled by a pitbull.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
The film features a scene in which Luke Skywalker is savagely mauled by the yetilike Wampa.
—Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
The half ended with the Free Jacks once again putting the Sabercats under pressure, trying to force their way over the tryline through a rolling maul, and twice failing to score.
—Vitas Carosella, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Minutes later, Hanover scored back-to-back tries with near identical mauls down the sideline.
—Marcello Rossetti, Boston Herald, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for maul
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maul
Verb
-
The Federal Trade Commission, 18 states and Puerto Rico have accused the company of abusing its market position to inflate prices on other online retail platforms, overcharge sellers and stifle competition.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The foster parents and their adult daughter pleaded guilty to abusing children in their care.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There’s Cassie licking a melting ice cream cone as the ice cream drips down her bare chest.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Other players use wet towels or even lick their hands and wipe the bottom of their shoes to get more grip.—
Max Scheinblum,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On Sunday, a photo emerged on social media of an Israeli soldier wielding what appears to be a hammer or axe against the figure of a crucified Jesus Christ in the predominantly Christian town of Debel.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
-
But eventually, when the play had been running for almost a year, the complaints piled up and the morality hammer came down.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Clayton Peavey, 31, used a concrete brick to attack a Chick-fil-A employee in March, leaving her with several gashes on her head and requiring stitches.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Mendoza is accurate to all three levels of the field and has developed a great understanding of when and where to attack down the field.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The updraft knifed through the building, whose inhabitants were already suffering without heat or power for much of the winter as Russia pounded Ukraine’s energy system.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a sense of surrender in the way this tune eroticizes total passivity, giving up control, just letting your feelings pound you to a bloody pulp.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
It was later revealed that the culprits allegedly used a homemade bomb and a sledgehammer to break into the museum.—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Images of an Israeli soldier with a sledgehammer smashing the statue’s head emerged over the weekend, bringing widespread condemnation.—
Munir Ahmed,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then, the family says two others broke through a small window, manhandled their dogs and stole priceless mementos handed down through their family over generations, along with the cash.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Did something get squashed en route, then manhandled by Kennedy?—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Carlson — and other right-wing influencers — in recent months who have become disenchanted with the president.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Trump lashed out at them and Tucker in a long, rambling social media post earlier this month.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maul. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
