variants
also pummelling
as in thrashing
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variants
also pummelling
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly
pummeled the mugger with her fists until help arrived
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pummeling
Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2026
Through punches and pummeling, cheating and cursing, their bond remained (mostly) intact.
—Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
The signature chi massage is based around meridian lines—a questionnaire determines which is most suitable for you—and the company’s bespoke oils are used in the massage, which is good, although maybe not one for those requiring serious pummelling.
—Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
His bandmates, naturally, summon apocalyptic cacophonies of gut-rattling guitar-riff fuselage and pummeling drumming.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
The electric vehicle industry has taken a pummeling this year.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 29 Dec. 2025
In its long history as the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies, the town has faced fires, maritime tragedies, and wild winter storms with lashing winds and pummeling rain.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2025
How to Watch Georgia Tech at Boston College Boston College’s woes continued last week as the Eagles took their ninth straight loss and fell to 0-6 in ACC play with a 45-13 pummeling at home from SMU.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
Betts, though, quickly caught himself, mindful of the pummeling that had just taken place.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
While rain has been drenching California's Central Valley, snow has been pummeling the Sierra Nevada and Foothills into Tuesday, with more expected this week.
—Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
Whether the game is a blowout or comes down to a fateful goal-line stand, loyalists of one team may leap for joy, while others might lash out in anger, pummeling their TV sets or sinking into a deep postgame funk.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
New England’s notoriously harsh weather once again revealed itself with a vengeance this past weekend, bringing extremely frigid temperatures to Connecticut and pummeling the state with nearly two feet of snow.
—Steve Sullivan, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
Three days after pummeling UCLA, 48-29, on the glass (including 20-5 on offensive boards), the Terps were on the receiving end of a clobbering as USC dominated, 35-24.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2026
In a matter of eight days, the Hornets (14-26) have gone from pummeling the defending champion in Oklahoma City to losing consecutive games at home to Toronto and Indiana in gut-wrenching fashion to recording the largest margin of victory on the road in franchise history by pounding Utah.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 13 Jan. 2026
But the Bills have won three straight road games, pummeling the Pittsburgh Steelers, storming back to beat the New England Patriots and holding on against the Cleveland Browns.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
However, their struggles early in the season contributed to Miami’s 1-6 start because every NFL team was pummeling the Dolphins on the ground in the first half of the year.
—Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Noun
Stout, bluesy guitar and a pummeling rhythm lead to McBryde turning in a ferocious, fearless vocal, singing about a litany of vices and urges that stay steeped her bloodline.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2026
Through punches and pummeling, cheating and cursing, their bond remained (mostly) intact.
—Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
The signature chi massage is based around meridian lines—a questionnaire determines which is most suitable for you—and the company’s bespoke oils are used in the massage, which is good, although maybe not one for those requiring serious pummelling.
—Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
His bandmates, naturally, summon apocalyptic cacophonies of gut-rattling guitar-riff fuselage and pummeling drumming.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
The electric vehicle industry has taken a pummeling this year.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 29 Dec. 2025
In its long history as the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies, the town has faced fires, maritime tragedies, and wild winter storms with lashing winds and pummeling rain.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2025
How to Watch Georgia Tech at Boston College Boston College’s woes continued last week as the Eagles took their ninth straight loss and fell to 0-6 in ACC play with a 45-13 pummeling at home from SMU.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
Betts, though, quickly caught himself, mindful of the pummeling that had just taken place.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
Snow is pummeling California’s mountains.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
While rain has been drenching California's Central Valley, snow has been pummeling the Sierra Nevada and Foothills into Tuesday, with more expected this week.
—Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
Whether the game is a blowout or comes down to a fateful goal-line stand, loyalists of one team may leap for joy, while others might lash out in anger, pummeling their TV sets or sinking into a deep postgame funk.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
New England’s notoriously harsh weather once again revealed itself with a vengeance this past weekend, bringing extremely frigid temperatures to Connecticut and pummeling the state with nearly two feet of snow.
—Steve Sullivan, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
Three days after pummeling UCLA, 48-29, on the glass (including 20-5 on offensive boards), the Terps were on the receiving end of a clobbering as USC dominated, 35-24.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2026
In a matter of eight days, the Hornets (14-26) have gone from pummeling the defending champion in Oklahoma City to losing consecutive games at home to Toronto and Indiana in gut-wrenching fashion to recording the largest margin of victory on the road in franchise history by pounding Utah.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 13 Jan. 2026
But the Bills have won three straight road games, pummeling the Pittsburgh Steelers, storming back to beat the New England Patriots and holding on against the Cleveland Browns.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
However, their struggles early in the season contributed to Miami’s 1-6 start because every NFL team was pummeling the Dolphins on the ground in the first half of the year.
—Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummeling
Noun
-
Stevenson played his best game in the Pats’ regular-season finale, a 38-10 thrashing of Miami.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
-
And, the 56-22 CFP semifinal Peach Bowl thrashing of Oregon began with Ponds’ interception return for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Dozens of flights between the East Coast and Los Angeles International Airport were cancelled Monday morning due to the blizzard that is pounding a large swath of the nation’s Eastern Seaboard.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
In the meantime, Sarandos has been pounding the drum of more Paramount pain to come.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Baupost Group’s Seth Klarman picked up Amazon in the fourth quarter, a bet that has yet to work out for the value investor this year as tech stocks take a hammering.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
17 Feb. 2026
-
At Anitra Coulter Blunt's Cedar Park home, the hammering and sawing is music to this musician's ears.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Son disappeared from public view, licking his wounds while also plotting his comeback.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Messi’s complaints were wafer-thin after a 3-0 licking by LAFC, but that didn’t stop him from venting hard in this video captured by a Mexican journalist after the final whistle.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But Beshear hasn’t turned Trump-bashing into a 24/7 vocation, or a weight-lifting contest where the winner is the critic wielding the heaviest bludgeon.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Powell, known for a cool head and a quiet demeanor, has consistently avoided direct confrontations with Trump, even as the president's personal displeasure with the Fed chair escalated from behind the scenes pressure to public bashing.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In recent days, the president has remained defiant on the issue, lashing out at the justices for delivering a legal setback on his tariffs, and looking to impose new global tariffs in a different way.—
Ana Ceballos
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
This could be because the leader themselves is emotionally reactive and people are just parroting what is modeled, or because there are no ground rules for conversations and no consequences given for lashing out.—
Blair Glaser,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This game was expected to be a taut preview of the gold-medal game but has turned into a bludgeoning.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
10 Feb. 2026
-
To start the bludgeoning, Aledo quickly established the run game in its opening drive with runs of 30 and 44 yards — that set up a 9 yard rushing TD from quarterback Lincoln Tubbs.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Two employees of a Des Plaines, Illinois daycare center stood charged Tuesday with battering children.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The battering storm also set the stage for a deadly avalanche Tuesday in the backcountry near Castle Peak, west of Donner Pass, where a group of skiers and guides were swept up in rugged terrain outside resort boundaries.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pummeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pummeling. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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