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
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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
Staff, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Even the moderators of fan accounts have had to contend with cascade of attention constantly pummeling the show and its stars — and not all of it has been positive.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
Oil prices spiked near $120 per barrel before falling back Monday as the Iran war intensified, threatening production and shipping in the Middle East and pummeling financial markets.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Oil prices continued to soar on Monday as the Iran war intensified, threatening production and shipping in the Middle East and pummeling financial markets.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Hadel responded by punching Brown twice, sending him pummeling towards the ground, hitting his head on the pavement and lying motionless on the pavement.
—Mathew Schumer, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026
Jaylen Brown missed his seventh game of the season Monday in Milwaukee, sitting out with what the team called an illness on the second night of a back-to-back, and Boston won easily, pummeling the Bucks 108-81.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
Indeed, climate change is adding intensity to wildfires in the West, while more severe hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods and winter storms are pummeling the grid in the rest of the country and forcing more spending on repairs and the hardening of infrastructure, Hua said.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026
The phenomenon of a wet, rotating oceanic system pummeling the Northeast produced such legendary storms as the Ash Wednesday storm of 1962, the Blizzard of ‘78 and 1993’s Storm of the Century.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026
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
Caught on camera, the violent altercation involved multiple suspects pummeling a man while allegedly hurling religious slurs.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Even the moderators of fan accounts have had to contend with cascade of attention constantly pummeling the show and its stars — and not all of it has been positive.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
Oil prices spiked near $120 per barrel before falling back Monday as the Iran war intensified, threatening production and shipping in the Middle East and pummeling financial markets.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Oil prices continued to soar on Monday as the Iran war intensified, threatening production and shipping in the Middle East and pummeling financial markets.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Hadel responded by punching Brown twice, sending him pummeling towards the ground, hitting his head on the pavement and lying motionless on the pavement.
—Mathew Schumer, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026
Jaylen Brown missed his seventh game of the season Monday in Milwaukee, sitting out with what the team called an illness on the second night of a back-to-back, and Boston won easily, pummeling the Bucks 108-81.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
Indeed, climate change is adding intensity to wildfires in the West, while more severe hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods and winter storms are pummeling the grid in the rest of the country and forcing more spending on repairs and the hardening of infrastructure, Hua said.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026
The phenomenon of a wet, rotating oceanic system pummeling the Northeast produced such legendary storms as the Ash Wednesday storm of 1962, the Blizzard of ‘78 and 1993’s Storm of the Century.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummeling
Noun
-
The first was at Wolverhampton Wanderers, then the second was in the closing stages of the thrashing of Crystal Palace at Elland Road.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Stevenson played his best game in the Pats’ regular-season finale, a 38-10 thrashing of Miami.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The team became the spectacle of Havana, with Maduro’s Gran Stadium filling with the sound of pounding drums and a conga line snaking through the crowd, as baseball felt more like a festival than a game.—
Tyler Carmona,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 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
-
The spotless streets are polished nightly by the feet of families licking ice cream.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Mar. 2026
-
On April 30, 2025, the dog was reportedly licking its tail and lethargic.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Which seems like the anxiety Chalamet was trying to express with his needless opera bashing.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Several former players have had enough of the Bam bashing.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Harvey Prager had been on watch for hours, steering through lashing rain and 20-foot waves in the Yucatan Channel.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, a powerful atmospheric river has been lashing Hawaii with relentless rain over the past five days, causing widespread flash flooding and landslides.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
16 Mar. 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
-
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
-
Two employees of a Des Plaines, Illinois daycare center stood charged Tuesday with battering children.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pummeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pummeling. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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