Synonyms of mauling

mauling 1 of 2

noun

as in thrashing

Related Words

• thrashing
• attack
• assault
• pummeling
• drubbing
• beating
• battering
• hammering
• whipping
• smashing
• licking
• thumping
• flogging
• bashing
• pounding
• injury
• clubbing
• pelting
• harm
• paddling
• bludgeoning
• belting
• battery
• walloping
• buffeting
• hurt
• batting
• whaling
• damage
• threat
• detriment
• rampage
• onslaught
• impairment
• riot
• shock
• cudgeling
• revolt
• terror
• socking
• frenzy
• outbreak
• upheaval
• rupture
• tromping
• savagery
• fury
• lacing
• outrage
• pommeling
• brutality
• turbulence
• barbarity
• paroxysm
• rage
• bulldozing
• bullying
• uproar
• tumult
• storm
• violence
• mutilation
• maiming
• browbeating
• foul play
• crippling
• mayhem
• hectoring
• strong-arming
• force

Dissimilar Words

• pacifism
• nonviolence
• pacificism

mauling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of maul

1

as in abusing

to abuse physically

demonstrators who claimed that they had been mauled by the police

Synonyms & Similar Words

• abusing
• attacking
• manhandling
• ambushing
• torturing
• beating
• maltreating
• mishandling
• battering
• injuring
• roughing (up)
• hurting
• slapping
• wounding
• pummeling
• licking
• wrestling
• fighting
• thrashing
• mistreating
• harming
• roughhousing
• knocking
• bashing
• pounding
• persecuting
• drubbing
• misusing
• hitting
• ill-treating
• buffeting
• lambasting
• clobbering
• tormenting
• oppressing
• assailing
• jumping
• wronging
• ill-using
• pommeling
• ganging up (on)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• petting
• caressing
• fondling
• pampering
• coddling
• fostering
• caring (for)
• nurturing
• mollycoddling

2

as in licking

to strike repeatedly

the irate store owner was mauling the shoplifter when the police showed up

Synonyms & Similar Words

• licking
• pounding
• lashing
• battering
• hiding
• whipping
• beating
• attacking
• pelting
• hitting
• thumping
• slapping
• knocking
• punching
• assaulting
• doing
• smashing
• spanking
• slamming
• pummeling
• batting
• thrashing
• drubbing
• bludgeoning
• hammering
• bashing
• raiding
• chopping
• smacking
• walloping
• clubbing
• flogging
• paddling
• boxing
• buffeting
• storming
• whacking
• punching out
• lathering
• tanning
• lambasting
• slating
• working over
• whopping
• currying
• slogging
• belting
• whupping
• switching
• wounding
• fibbing
• whaling
• swiping
• roughing (up)
• belaboring
• tromping
• messing (up)
• swatting
• pommeling
• basting
• threshing
• cracking
• clobbering
• birching
• lacing
• rushing
• bunging up
• thwacking
• strapping
• beating up on
• pasting
• cuffing
• socking
• assailing
• cudgeling
• descending (on or upon)
• besetting
• jumping (on)
• busting
• clouting
• lacerating
• laying on
• scourging
• caning
• pouncing (on or upon)
• mutilating
• whomping
• maiming
• whamming
• flagellating
• pistol-whipping
• goring
• mangling
• lamming
• leathering
• horsewhipping
• blackjacking
• cowhiding
• rawhiding
• fustigating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of mauling

Noun

Avila’s sister, Patricia Avila, who was also on the job when the mauling took place, was awarded $885,000 for emotional distress, and Maria Avila’s husband, Oscar Olivo, was separately awarded $50,000. — Chris Willman, Variety, 1 July 2026

The dogs involved in the mauling were later euthanized. — Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 26 May 2026

Fox orchestrated the mauling of Minnesota, dancing around defenders and into the lane at will. — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 16 May 2026

Those still with the team may want to exact revenge after last December’s 45-21 mauling at the hands of quarterback Joe Burrow. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 14 May 2026

The area remains closed as authorities continue to investigate the apparent mauling. — Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026

Seth Michael Plant, 30, died after a bear mauling that occurred during training, according to a Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson news release. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026

These were claps of relief and encouragement from a European audience bracing for a mauling like JD Vance’s onslaught last year. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026

Fresh from his online mauling at the hands of Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary, the world’s richest man can take some consolation. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 1 Feb. 2026

Verb

While the left guard competition remains open, Jones has been on the first string for over a week since replacing Connor Colby, and Jones stood out with an aggressive, mauling nature against the Titans. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026

Gunther slowed the match down, mauling Aldis and sending him flying into the corner. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

In July 2025, the San Bernardino Police Department said one of its officers fatally shot a dog after responding to an incident in which a woman later died from her injuries believed to have been caused by the dog mauling. — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 21 July 2026

Another hiker survived a grizzly mauling on the popular Grinnell Glacier Trail just weeks later. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026

Chris Brown was seated at the defense table in a Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday, poised to testify at his dog-mauling trial, when the judge declared a mistrial due to juror misconduct. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2026

Throw in the signing of dual threat quarterback Malik Willis with the drafting of mauling offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor as well as Will Kacmarek, arguably the best blocking tight end of the 2026 class, and all signs point to the Dolphins having an elite rushing attack for quite some time. — Miami Herald, 10 June 2026

Or left tackle Theo Benedet pulling into the open field in Cincinnati, sprinting well beyond the line of scrimmage, starting his block on Geno Stone 4 yards from the sideline, then mauling the Bengals safety within inches of a bench. — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026

City enters Week 2 of the new campaign as Premier League leader after mauling its way to a 4-0 win over Wolves on opening weekend. — Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025