pummeling 1 of 2

noun

variants also pummelling
as in thrashing

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pummeling

2 of 2

verb

variants also pummelling
present participle of pummel
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly pummeled the mugger with her fists until help arrived

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 pummeling
Noun
Photos and video shared on social media show debris thrown in the air and pummeling rain as a possible tornado touched down at Atlantic Beach on Long Island's outer barrier. — CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 Well, that honor goes to the 1885 New York Giants, whose 24-0 pummeling of the Buffalo Bisons has stood the test of time. — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 Trump’s critics, especially in Israel, worry that the agreement effectively allows Iran to repair a proxy force diminished by months of Israeli pummeling. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 Men In Blazers Reigning European champions Spain finally looked like tournament favorites, with teenage star Lamine Yamal leading it to a 4-0 pummeling of Saudi Arabia. — David Hickey, NBC news, 22 June 2026 As violent as these bouts get, fighters agree to honor the rules, even mid-pummeling. — Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026 This spiritual, emotional, and physical reset is a million miles away from the hormone pummeling of current weight-loss drugs, and the aughts’ detox ethos. — Jane Alexander, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 May 2026 The increasingly gruesome pummelling continues, cross-cutting with Cassie’s discussion with Naz (Jack Topalian), calmly eating pie on the couch, about what this means to her, and how her wedding was supposed to be the best day of her life. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026 Of course, Flextail didn't curl up, back into a corner and submit to a pummeling, counterpunching with its own tiny 1-oz inflator just a couple months later. — New Atlas, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
Russia has been pummeling Ukrainian cities with near non-stop aerial attacks, taking advantage of Kyiv’s critical shortages of air defense missiles. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 The weather service says some parts of South Florida could see as much as 8 to 10 inches of rain this week, as storms keep pummeling the region with downpours. — Juan Ortega, Sun Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026 In both cases, the characters at least initially try to avoid violence, and harbor aspirations more personal than pummelling opponents ad nauseam. — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026 Over the Fourth of July weekend, a series of storms skimmed the south of the city, pummeling Coney Island and the Rockaways with sand and sending beach umbrellas spinning like tops. — Matthew Schneier, Curbed, 27 Aug. 2026 Now well west of Hawaii’s main islands, Lala had top sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph) on Thursday and had begun pummeling the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument — a remote area at the northwestern edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 Instead of pummeling out of the sky in a ballistic reentry, the lifting body landed sort of like an airplane. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 Aug. 2026 Her scrolled embroideries have since been described as tirades, rants, and screeds—no horses or cables, just the language pummeling the eye. — Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026 Ukraine is ratcheting up the tempo of drone strikes pummeling Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014. — Brady Africk, Washington Post, 20 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummeling
  1. thrashing
  2. pounding
  3. hammering
  4. licking
  5. bashing
  6. lashing
  7. bludgeoning
  8. battering
Noun
  • The teenager, who has excelled for The Union by scoring seven goals and providing 12 assists in MLS this season, was called up to his first national camp this month and made his international debut in the US’ 4-1 thrashing of Peru on Saturday.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The Chiefs began their season with consecutive conference victories — first a 31-10 thrashing of the Denver Broncos before a 33-30 overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of thrashing
Verb
  • An early fall nor’easter is gathering strength along the central East Coast, pounding beaches in several states with heavy surf and threatening to bring coastal flooding, wind and rain to parts of the Northeast through the weekend.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Chappell Roan’s theatrical delivery rises alongside pounding drums and bright synths, transforming self-discovery into a full-room celebration.
    — Brittney Williams, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of pounding
Noun
  • The butt of the Axvant is designed to double as a mallet, mostly for knocking in tent stakes and taking care of other basic, non-precision hammering.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Coastal flooding and hammering winds are already underway from North Carolina and Virginia to New Jersey, the start of a dayslong coastal flood and erosion threat that will extend into New England as the storm ramps up.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of hammering
Verb
  • The team also pointed out that the same circuit is responsible for the expression of normal, context-appropriate grooming and licking.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
  • In the post, Wouter was pictured wearing a dog cone, which is used to prevent pets from licking, chewing or scratching surgical sites or wounds.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of licking
Noun
  • Again, helicopter parents aren’t new, and there’s a risk that this gets turned into even more Gen Z bashing.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Finally, how did Jason’s bashing of kitchen items compare to Evel Dick’s and Josh’s?
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026
Definition of bashing
Verb
  • These are just two of the many scenes of destruction the hurricane has left in Hawaii after lashing the state’s western islands with heavy rain, widespread flooding and tropical-storm-force winds on Monday and Tuesday.
    — Liz Kreutz, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026
  • This week’s meeting of G20 finance ministers underscored rising global trade tensions, with several countries, including the US, lashing out at China.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of lashing
Noun
  • Over in the crumbling core of Lockland Manor, Tom’s good-guy veneer slips as Kylie develops the same suspicions that led to Ian’s bludgeoning.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Taking over as the Reiner fund trustee from Matthew Fishburn soon after Rob and Michele Reiner’s horrific bludgeoning last December, Kanin served just 15 whirlwind weeks in the role before handing it over to Montgomery.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of bludgeoning
Verb
  • There truly is no greater feeling than standing on the old-style terracing at Somerset Park with the wind battering my face while Ayr United plays the Beautiful Game.
    — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The California coast braces for another battering California beach communities are expected to see rising sea levels in the coming weeks as El Niño continues to strengthen, with more sand erosion and damage possible, according to new data.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of battering

Browse Nearby Words

pummeled
pummeling
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Cite this Entry

“Pummeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pummeling. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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