MAUL Synonyms: 162 Similar and Opposite Words

maul 1 of 2

verb

Definition of maul

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

as in to lick

to strike repeatedly the irate store owner was mauling the shoplifter when the police showed up

Synonyms & Similar Words

maul

2 of 2

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

Verb

Also in June, a woman was mauled by a shark at one of Australia's most popular beaches in Sydney. — CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026 Lug a bulky, awkward, bear-proof canister to store your food so you don’t get mauled. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 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

Meanwhile, local Church leaders hope the pope's visit will repair the Church's standing after a crushing 2021 report found that some 330,000 French children had been abused by Catholic clergy and lay leaders over seven decades.

— Joshua McElwee, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
An example of warrantless seizure could be a case in which an officer sees a dog being abused and takes the animal.

— Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of abuse

Verb

In the post, Wouter was pictured wearing a dog cone, which is used to prevent pets from licking, chewing or scratching surgical sites or wounds.

— Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Baldwin’s post featured a video of the dog licking a cherry ice pop and looking at the rain.

— Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of lick

Noun

To break down a plastic bottle, science doesn’t need a hammer, but a microscopic scalpel.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
The leaf design was surprisingly complicated and required many trips to the forge and a power hammer to get it just right.

— Sarah Wood González, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of hammer

Verb

Qatar and Oman have also been attacked by Iranian drones and missiles.

— Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Fire grows after manhunt keeps crews out The Mineral Fire grew to 18 acres by Monday morning after the armed manhunt prevented firefighters from attacking it for hours.

— Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of attack

Verb

People who get sick typically develop a sudden high fever along with a pounding headache, pain behind the eyes and deep aches in the muscles, joints and bones.

— Andrés Henao, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026
Usually the bar is a rowdy reprieve filled with sweaty bodies and pounding bass lines, with Lo situated behind the DJ decks.

— Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of pound

Noun

Its leader, Sergei Mironov, 73, once gained headlines by posing with a symbol of brutality — a sledgehammer given to him by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late Wagner mercenary leader shortly before his failed 2023 mutiny.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Whatever is decided in November, Sterling has taken a sledgehammer to his own reputation.

— Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of sledgehammer

Verb

Hours later, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, announced the suspension of Acosta’s press pass, and, for good measure, falsely accused him of manhandling the aide who wanted the mike back.

— Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2026
He was brought to the prison infirmary, where numerous guards surrounded, punched, kicked, choked, dropped and manhandled him.

— Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of manhandle

Verb

Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin lashed out at Judge Judy’s remarks about unhappy Americans.

— Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026
Trump has also lashed out at individual reporters in person or over social media, sometimes in strikingly personal terms -- insulting them in briefings, or in his recent speech at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of lash

Browse Nearby Words

maudlin

maul

mauled

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Style

“Maul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maul. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of maul

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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