pummel

verb

ˈpə-məl How to pronounce pummel (audio)
Definition of pummelnext
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly pummeled the mugger with her fists until help arrived

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 pummel The powerful nor’easter that pummeled North Carolina’s coast left something strange behind on the Outer Banks, photos show. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026 The year after that, heavy rains pummeled the burn scar, burying buildings and vehicles under mud and debris. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026 Investors pummeled the drugmaker’s stock, underwhelmed by growth targets that matched industry averages rather than outpacing them. — Annika Kim Constantino,elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026 Rain and strong winds had already started to pummel the coast, with waves crashing onto the normally pristine beaches. — Megan Janetsky, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pummel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummel
  1. lick
  2. hide
  3. pound
  4. beat
  5. lash
  6. whip
  7. pelt
  8. slap
Verb
  • Popo would lick her cone ever so gracefully, never dripping or messing up the lining of her magenta lipstick.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Teams have to be licking their chops after seeing what Tampa Bay did to Dallas last Thursday night, especially considering the defense (or lack thereof) that the Cowboys have shown through five weeks.
    — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • Ambarchi is the director who makes occasional cameos, hiding with his guitar in the shadows until stepping forward only when necessary.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of hide
Verb
  • Extreme tropical weather led to two deaths in Mexico and caused widespread damage over the weekend as Hurricane Simon pounded the country's Pacific coast, authorities said Monday.
    — JAIMIE DING, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Rain pounded Las Vegas, which broke a daily rainfall record Sunday.
    — Adrian Florido, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of pound
Verb
  • Huntley led Baltimore to a tying touchdown and 2-point conversion in the last minute of regulation and then scored on a 1-yard sneak in overtime as the Ravens rallied to beat the Atlanta Falcons 30-23 on Sunday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • James Hager arrived at Lopez’s Palm Drive home in Key Largo to stop him from beating his on-and-off-again girlfriend, according to Lopez’s arrest report.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of beat
Verb
  • Over the weekend, Hurricane Simon lashed at the country's Pacific Coast as a Category 4 hurricane.
    — Adrian Florido, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Tropical storm-force winds began to lash the Gulf shoreline around midday, hours before Isaias was expected to make landfall between Mobile Bay on the Alabama coast and the city of Destin in the Florida Panhandle.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of lash
Verb
  • Now imagine whipping your phone out after work, telling the world about it, and landing a brand deal worth $10K or more.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Now imagine the same hot and dry conditions, but with the Santa Anas whipping at 40 miles an hour.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of whip
Verb
  • Mostly, though, the moon is pelted by meteoroids the size of bullets or footballs.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
  • If/when that day comes, that person should be pelted with rocks and garbage until (s)he stops having terrible ideas.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of pelt
Verb
  • Antetokounmpo wasted no time in starting to rave about the Heat culture, a phrase that has become a lightning rod for criticism from talking heads around the NBA — especially after the franchise slapped the word across shirts and jerseys.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Less than three months after that deal was announced in January 2022, Smith became an industry pariah after slapping Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars, earning a 10-year ban from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of slap

Browse Nearby Words

pumas
pummel
pummeled
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Cite this Entry

“Pummel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pummel. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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