as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
the elderly woman pommeled the would-be thief with her handbag until he begged for mercy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pommel
There are pommel horses, vertical bars and all the other equipment that populates a gymnastics school.
—
Rick Kogan, chicagotribune.com, 28 June 2021
It’s the first alpine ski area at Hatcher Pass — long a destination for cross country skiers — since the 1970s, when there was a rope tow and pommel lift at Independence Mine.
—Beth Bragg, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Dec. 2020
Not surprisingly, the five fastest serves ever recorded were pommeled by players 6-foot-4 or bigger.
—Robbie Gonzalez, WIRED, 12 July 2019
The President’s $17 million home on the island of St. Martin, Le Chateau des Palmiers, was pommeled by Irma days earlier as the then-Category 5 storm wreaked havoc on several Caribbean islands.
—Mackenzie Schmidt, PEOPLE.com, 12 Sep. 2017
Rick Kogan, chicagotribune.com, 28 June 2021
It’s the first alpine ski area at Hatcher Pass — long a destination for cross country skiers — since the 1970s, when there was a rope tow and pommel lift at Independence Mine.
—Beth Bragg, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Dec. 2020
Not surprisingly, the five fastest serves ever recorded were pommeled by players 6-foot-4 or bigger.
—Robbie Gonzalez, WIRED, 12 July 2019
The President’s $17 million home on the island of St. Martin, Le Chateau des Palmiers, was pommeled by Irma days earlier as the then-Category 5 storm wreaked havoc on several Caribbean islands.
—Mackenzie Schmidt, PEOPLE.com, 12 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pommel
Verb
-
The spotless streets are polished nightly by the feet of families licking ice cream.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The dog ignored him, and licked the boy’s face.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Drizzle it into balsamic vinaigrette, or take the plunge and whip it into caramel pots de crème.—
Kristen Hartke,
Saveur,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The high waist bunched a little when seated, but it was hardly cause for breaking focus when attempting an inversion (the whipping wind, however, was another story).—
Talia Abbas,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And yet, Trump has also managed to avoid complex questions about those issues — the most pressing before his administration — and despite Democrats and some of his own supporters lashing out over them.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Noem and her chief adviser Corey Lewandowski -- who is reportedly also departing DHS -- both had a knack for lashing out, yelling and berating staff that crossed them, according to sources.—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Living together made hiding harder.—
Jennifer Wolfgram,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
This information is conveyed by a hilariously avant-garde Poulter, playing the store’s manager, who dyes his hair to match each monochromatic scheme and hides his nefariousness behind a company policy that requires techno music to be played at maximum volume at all times.—
Jada Yuan,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Irons pounds the drums like Bam-Bam smashing on two garbage-can lids.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Surprise, surprise, the drums started pounding for the SOB Act shortly after (though various legislative attempts have floated since Proposition 12 was passed) backed by a Midwestern congresswoman from a Big Pork state.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The atmospheric scientist was chasing thunderstorms near Kankakee Tuesday night that swept across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana — producing destructive tornadoes that razed houses and farmland, and pelting hail that pounded roofs and smashed car windows.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Mamdani was at odds with his own police commissioner about an attack on police that started with cops being pelted by ice and snow balls in their heads and backs – which union officials said were packed with rocks.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
10 Mar. 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
-
Israel, meanwhile, appears content to keep battering the Islamic Republic, whatever the downstream consequences, while also mustering a new offensive into southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner had won the toss and chosen to bat against the defending champions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Ferree dove and batted Calheira’s shot away with his left hand.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pommel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pommel. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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