as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
pummeled the mugger with her fists until help arrived
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Recent Examples of pummel
The older of the two, who was likely in his 20s or 30s, died as Mount Vesuvius pummeled the area with rock fragments called lapilli.
—
Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 18 June 2026
According to Israeli and American reports, over the past week, the president forced Israel to abort imminent retaliatory strikes on Iran and demanded that the country restrict its response to Hezbollah fire from Lebanon that has pummeled the Israeli north.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
The good news is that skies have since cleared, but for much of Wednesday morning and afternoon, residents in Streator, about 90 miles southwest of Chicago and already ravaged by an EF-3 tornado, were getting pummeled with rain.
—Noel Brennan, CBS News, 17 June 2026
The war also pummeled the region's aviation sector, with flights out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a global hub for air travel, reduced by two-thirds and those out of Doha, Qatar, by three-quarters, according to the IMF.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pummel
Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 18 June 2026
According to Israeli and American reports, over the past week, the president forced Israel to abort imminent retaliatory strikes on Iran and demanded that the country restrict its response to Hezbollah fire from Lebanon that has pummeled the Israeli north.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
The good news is that skies have since cleared, but for much of Wednesday morning and afternoon, residents in Streator, about 90 miles southwest of Chicago and already ravaged by an EF-3 tornado, were getting pummeled with rain.
—Noel Brennan, CBS News, 17 June 2026
The war also pummeled the region's aviation sector, with flights out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a global hub for air travel, reduced by two-thirds and those out of Doha, Qatar, by three-quarters, according to the IMF.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pummel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummel
Verb
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Bring along a friend who wouldn’t be able to indulge in these kinds of finger-licking treats otherwise.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 June 2026
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The image of the students as vivisectors, committed to extracting the hearts and licking the bones of the transgressors in their midst, seems to mirror her own hatred of the university’s tendency toward frenzied analysis.—
Hannah Gold,
New Yorker,
17 June 2026
Verb
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In fact, some are doing little to hide their skepticism – and, in some cases, outright frustration – with the memorandum of understanding, which White House officials hope to spin into a more lasting peace agreement and nuclear accord.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
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The script hides serious moral and ethical conversations about fame, political violence, and powerful institutions amongst jokes about hashbrowns.—
Lorena O’Neil,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2026
Verb
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The war killed more than 3,300 Iranians, according to state media, including top leaders, and pounded the country's infrastructure and armed forces.—
Ruth Sherlock,
NPR,
19 June 2026
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One of the deputies shone his light through the window and pounded on the door again.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Collins easily beat former football coach Derek Dooley, according to unofficial election results.—
Tia Mitchell,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
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The stance in 1966 let in North Korea, who famously beat Italy en route to the quarter-finals.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Meloni lashed back and accused him of lying.—
Anthony Faiola,
Washington Post,
19 June 2026
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The men used two cinch ropes to lash an air mattress on each side of the horse.—
Dolores Brown,
Outdoor Life,
17 June 2026
Verb
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The menu features Mediterranean delicacies, starting with mezze like hummus, muhammara (a walnut and red pepper dip) and whipped feta spreads.—
Connie Ogle
June 19,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
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Ospreay struck Strickland, who responded by whipping a chain at him.—
Rob Wolkenbrod,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Rain pelted the ballpark during Tuesday’s game as the Giants built a lead on RBIs from Matt Chapman, Bryce Eldridge, and Jung Hoo Lee.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
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Cars looked like they were pelted by multiple golf balls.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The parasite has now been discovered in cattle in south Texas and New Mexico, which prompted Canada to slap bans on live cattle from the region.—
Andrew Muhammad,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
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Aranda slapped an outside changeup on a line down the leftfield line, and the ball struck the screen on the fair side of foul pole for a three-run homer.—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pummel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pummel. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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