1
as in abused
to abuse physically
demonstrators who claimed that they had been mauled by the police
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in licked
to strike repeatedly
the irate store owner was mauling the shoplifter when the police showed up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mauled
An Arizona mother of two was mauled to death by three dogs in a horrific attack while protecting her son outside her mother’s Southern California home.
—
Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 4 Mar. 2026
The 2000s brought Nick Jans’ The Grizzly Maze, which painted a layered, nuanced portrait of Timothy Treadwell, a man who lived alongside coastal brown bears in Katmai Alaska for thirteen summers before being mauled by a bear in 2003.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Five months after a Miami Gardens woman was mauled to death, her family is still waiting for police to tell them which dog or dogs attacked her.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Lanning has been a borderline disaster in the CFP, getting squashed by Ohio State in 2024 and mauled by Indiana in 2025 (after dominating Texas Tech).
—Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
The family’s oldest child was once forced to watch her cat be mauled to death by feral dogs after she was caught taking food out of the pantry without permission.
—Stephanie Kaloi, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
Three years ago, a pack of dingoes mauled a 23-year-old jogger in an attack police said was almost fatal.
—CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
The second fatality occurred in 2001, when 9-year-old Clinton Gage was mauled on K’gari, then called Fraser Island, by two dingoes who also attacked his younger brother.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
The New England defense is terrific, given how the Patriots mauled the Texans while limiting them to 241 yards.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 Jan. 2026
Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 4 Mar. 2026
The 2000s brought Nick Jans’ The Grizzly Maze, which painted a layered, nuanced portrait of Timothy Treadwell, a man who lived alongside coastal brown bears in Katmai Alaska for thirteen summers before being mauled by a bear in 2003.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Five months after a Miami Gardens woman was mauled to death, her family is still waiting for police to tell them which dog or dogs attacked her.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Lanning has been a borderline disaster in the CFP, getting squashed by Ohio State in 2024 and mauled by Indiana in 2025 (after dominating Texas Tech).
—Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
The family’s oldest child was once forced to watch her cat be mauled to death by feral dogs after she was caught taking food out of the pantry without permission.
—Stephanie Kaloi, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
Three years ago, a pack of dingoes mauled a 23-year-old jogger in an attack police said was almost fatal.
—CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
The second fatality occurred in 2001, when 9-year-old Clinton Gage was mauled on K’gari, then called Fraser Island, by two dingoes who also attacked his younger brother.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
The New England defense is terrific, given how the Patriots mauled the Texans while limiting them to 241 yards.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mauled
Verb
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The complaint alleges that the late singer abused the four siblings at international and national tour stops as well as at his Santa Barbara County estate, Neverland Ranch.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
-
During the investigation, multiple other individuals reported that Joachim had abused them in the late 1990s and early 2000s.—
Michael Cuviello,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Of course, the flue was closed, so the fire licked up the walls, left a smell like the fall, like ancient smokehouses and dung.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
-
At Nadeau’s Ice Sculptures, the oldest carving factory in America, a team of former archaeologists and butchers creates ephemeral art designed to be licked, touched, and eventually, lost.—
Blair Braverman,
Outside,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Iran, Israel and the United States also have attacked oil and gas facilities since the war started, worsening supply concerns.—
Alex Veiga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Its national oil company declared force majeure after the country’s sole oil refinery was attacked.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hezbollah also fired rockets, as Israel pounded targets in the suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Shay Whitcomb of the Houston Astros hit two home runs in back-to-back plate appearances, teammate Bo Gyeong Moon pounded a grand slam and Jahmai Jones of the Detroit Tigers added a solo shot in the eighth inning.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Pats manhandled Denver in the AFC Championship Game, thanks mostly to defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Making the scene even more a spectacle was the fact that Yam Yam was literally being manhandled and dragged out of the castle while doing so.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Maza drew in Hamburg players before flicking the ball on for Kofane, who lashed it into the top-left corner.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Most recently, the White Stripes rocker lashed out after Trump posted a since‑deleted video on his official Truth Social account depicting Michelle and Barack Obama as apes.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors allege the gunmen tracked Bowman to Los Angeles and ambushed him at a gas station near the Beverly Center, firing at least 18 rounds from multiple weapons, including a machine gun.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
27 Feb. 2026
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Flying through blizzard conditions, his squadron was ambushed by seven Soviet fighter planes.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Some injuries stemmed from fights between detainees, including a man who said he had been kicked in the ear and battered in his ribs.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Some injuries stemmed from fights between detainees, including a man who said he had been kicked in the ear and battered in his ribs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mauled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mauled. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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