Synonyms of paddling

paddling 1 of 2

noun

as in whipping

Related Words

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

Dissimilar Words

• pacifism
• nonviolence
• pacificism

paddling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of paddle

1

as in kayaking

to move a boat by means of oars

I like to paddle on the river for exercise and relaxation

Synonyms & Similar Words

• kayaking
• rowing
• canoeing
• sculling
• oaring
• pulling
• poling
• punting
• feathering

2

as in licking

to strike repeatedly

back in those times it was acceptable for teachers to paddle misbehaving students

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of paddling

Noun

The rugged islands, reachable by boat or seaplane, offer opportunities for backpacking, hiking, boating, paddling and diving. — Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 25 Aug. 2026

The splash of the osprey, the smacking of the eating beaver and the gentle paddling of the swimming beaver beat anything on offer at the Meyerhoff. — Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 14 Aug. 2026

Instructors will teach participants about proper paddling technique, balance and coordination, and water safety. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

Certified paddling instructors will teach participants a variety of ways to conduct self-rescues and cooperative rescues. — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026

The plans include a 14-acre farm, a restaurant, a spa, cottages, over 12 miles of trails, and river access for swimming, paddling, and fishing. — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

For outdoor enthusiasts, late spring through fall brings ideal conditions for hiking, cycling, and paddling. — Vivian Chung, Travel + Leisure, 1 Aug. 2026

The spot is a popular paddling area each spring as the spider lilies bloom in May and early June. — John Marks, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026

Several private schools in Ohio and Virginia permit paddling as discipline even though those states outlaw corporal punishment in public schools. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 16 July 2026

Verb

The Ecology Center Picture a teenage surfer paddling out through a slick of plastic and debris on a Southern California beach, trash bag in one hand. — Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

The accident took place near the iconic Steamer Lane surf break, described by Surfer Today as the heart and soul of Santa Cruz surfing where locals have been paddling out since the 1930s. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

For active weekend or midweek warriors, Nantucket offers miles upon miles of bike paths and nearly endless opportunities for paddling. — Josh Roberts, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026

Until then, physicists will keep paddling around for answers deep underground. — James Dinneen, Quanta Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026

In 2025, Miami University in Ohio suspended its Kappa Alpha Psi chapter through 2040 after an investigation found prospective new members were subjected to physical abuse, including paddling and caning. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 27 July 2026

As a thank you, Bernat painted a picture of Seman paddling a canoe into the sunset. — Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026

Firefighters said in a Facebook post that the sweet pup was located using a drone, which found the pooch paddling by himself in San Francisco Bay. — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026

This makes the Exumas a must-visit for snorkeling, diving, fishing, beach-hopping—and paddling with those famous swimming pigs. — Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon, Travel + Leisure, 18 July 2026