as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
pummeled the mugger with her fists until help arrived
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Recent Examples of pummel
Separate from the storm that pummeled southeastern Wisconsin, Grant County in southwest Wisconsin experienced flash flooding in mid-August that left roughly $600,000 in damage to roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure.
—
Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Some moments he was transfixed by Sendak’s illustrations, particularly one of a rabbit, under one of Jack’s spells, pummeling the nameless dog; at others by the nature of Jack’s transformation.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Rainfall totals Over the next three days, heavy rain will pummel the coast from Northern California through Washington.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
At one point between takes, Finn Wolfhard walks over to the Duffers’ monitors where rough renderings of Demogorgons pummel soldiers so the directors and actors can get a sense of what the scene will look like after the CGI artists work their magic.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pummel
Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Some moments he was transfixed by Sendak’s illustrations, particularly one of a rabbit, under one of Jack’s spells, pummeling the nameless dog; at others by the nature of Jack’s transformation.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Rainfall totals Over the next three days, heavy rain will pummel the coast from Northern California through Washington.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
At one point between takes, Finn Wolfhard walks over to the Duffers’ monitors where rough renderings of Demogorgons pummel soldiers so the directors and actors can get a sense of what the scene will look like after the CGI artists work their magic.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pummel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummel
Verb
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Collins is no doubt licking his chops studying tape of another Patriots rookie, left guard Jared Wilson, who allowed two sacks last weekend.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
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Soon, orange-red flames began to lick the wall and the roof’s open eaves.—
Ingfei Chen,
New Yorker,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hanlon wasn’t trying to hide his glee.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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Curious what top dollar items could be hiding in your grandma's house?—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And so the Jays did, piling up one quality at-bat after another, grinding down Snell, pounding the Dodgers’ suspect bullpen.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Its rain has already been pounding parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic for several days, flooding roadways and triggering landslides.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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During their time together, Wuornos alleged that Mallory raped, beat and sodomized her, according to her testimony, and per the Associated Press.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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After an extra-inning marathon that nearly broke MLB’s record for the longest World Series game, the Toronto Blue Jays rebounded Tuesday night to beat the defending champs, the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-2.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Picking sweet Julie mangoes from the big tree in the front yard of my childhood home; going to the beach where my late brother tried (and failed) to teach me to swim; visiting relatives during the summer in the very areas that were now being lashed by rain and wind.—
Grace White,
Essence,
29 Oct. 2025
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LogoPowered byScale logo Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record, is slowly cutting through the Caribbean, soaking and lashing those in its path with torrential rain and catastrophic winds.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The photo of Chastain whipping off her jersey, shouting in triumph, her sinewy arms flexed, was immediately historic.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 Oct. 2025
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Leafs forward Dakota Joshua weaved through Buffalo’s defensive zone coverage without much resistance and then whipped an off-balance shot toward the net.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The difference now versus in past years isn’t just in the scale but the sophistication of threats pelted at companies and executives, said Matt Dumpert, a managing director who leads Kroll’s enterprise security risk practice.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
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First Amendment groups have accused federal authorities of carrying out excessive tactics, including pelting protesters and the media with tear gas and pepper balls.—
Natasha Korecki,
NBC news,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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He's also accused of slapping a nearby female passenger and trying to hit a crew member.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
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The 28-year-old allegedly went on to slap a female passenger to his left and attempted to slap a crew member.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pummel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pummel. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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