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
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
On April 8, 2025, Wrobleski endured an eight-run pummeling by the Washington Nationals and was immediately sent down to triple-A Oklahoma City.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
In early February, at an Airbnb Peters was renting near Orlando, Peters’ girlfriend, Violet Lentz, got into a shouting, shoving and pummeling match with another woman, while Peters posted the conflict to social media, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
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
His bandmates, naturally, summon apocalyptic cacophonies of gut-rattling guitar-riff fuselage and pummeling drumming.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
Katie Woo, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Surging food costs and fuel prices are pummeling Maine's struggling groundfishing industry.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 23 May 2026
Now 46, the singer draws inspiration from the music that inspired her, name-checking Prince and the Gap Band, for a spate of upbeat tunes dotted by glittery synths, pummeling 808s and plucky bass notes.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 19 May 2026
Former health and human services secretary Xavier Becerra recently nodded to reality on health care, and his Democratic rivals for California governor are pummeling him for it.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 18 May 2026
The talks, brokered by the State Department, come as Israeli airstrikes have continued pummeling Lebanon despite a ceasefire between the two nations.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 14 May 2026
At one point, the crew shot a scene in which Whalen’s character joins a bar fight, shouting invectives at a hapless extra before pummelling him to the ground.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
This year’s record-warm, dry spring is pummeling Colorado farmers amid multiple threats, disrupting the state’s $9 billion agricultural sector and jeopardizing even signature crops such as Pueblo green chiles, Olathe sweet corn and Palisade peaches.
—Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
On top of everything else pummeling consumers right now — spiking gas prices, soaring grocery bills, an uncertain job market — there’s a wild card lurking in a shadowy corner of corporate finance that could pile on even more pain.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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
On April 8, 2025, Wrobleski endured an eight-run pummeling by the Washington Nationals and was immediately sent down to triple-A Oklahoma City.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
In early February, at an Airbnb Peters was renting near Orlando, Peters’ girlfriend, Violet Lentz, got into a shouting, shoving and pummeling match with another woman, while Peters posted the conflict to social media, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
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
His bandmates, naturally, summon apocalyptic cacophonies of gut-rattling guitar-riff fuselage and pummeling drumming.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
In his first at-bat Tuesday night, Betts fell behind 0-2 to Rockies starter Kyle Freeland before pummeling a heater in the zone to center field for a two-run blast.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Surging food costs and fuel prices are pummeling Maine's struggling groundfishing industry.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 23 May 2026
Now 46, the singer draws inspiration from the music that inspired her, name-checking Prince and the Gap Band, for a spate of upbeat tunes dotted by glittery synths, pummeling 808s and plucky bass notes.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 19 May 2026
Former health and human services secretary Xavier Becerra recently nodded to reality on health care, and his Democratic rivals for California governor are pummeling him for it.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 18 May 2026
The talks, brokered by the State Department, come as Israeli airstrikes have continued pummeling Lebanon despite a ceasefire between the two nations.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 14 May 2026
At one point, the crew shot a scene in which Whalen’s character joins a bar fight, shouting invectives at a hapless extra before pummelling him to the ground.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
This year’s record-warm, dry spring is pummeling Colorado farmers amid multiple threats, disrupting the state’s $9 billion agricultural sector and jeopardizing even signature crops such as Pueblo green chiles, Olathe sweet corn and Palisade peaches.
—Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
On top of everything else pummeling consumers right now — spiking gas prices, soaring grocery bills, an uncertain job market — there’s a wild card lurking in a shadowy corner of corporate finance that could pile on even more pain.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummeling
Noun
-
Thursday’s 118-91 thrashing, though, invited more than a Game 7.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
The Fever, perhaps more terribly potent with each passing day, is a two-hour spiral into the thrashing, slowly awakening soul of a Good Middle-Class Liberal.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The segments that follow Bonnier de La Chapelle are admittedly more successful and sophisticated, bringing to mind the heart-pounding essence of a Costa-Gavras political thriller.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
25 May 2026
-
Moore and Kaveon Jackson took turns pounding the ball on the ground and then Nordman hit Moore with the big touchdown from 15 yards out that set off a wild DeLand celebration on the Bulldogs’ sideline.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Once the roads open and the Miura’s tachometer sweeps past 4,000 rpm, your ears are nourished by a cultured snarl that builds to a hammering roar.—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
18 May 2026
-
Wrexham were fourth bottom of the fledgling table after the third of those three losses, a 3-1 hammering by Queens Park Rangers.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Even small exposures—such as licking pollen off fur or drinking water from a vase containing lilies—can be toxic.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
15 May 2026
-
Vietnamese-style sweet-and-spicy chicken wings are a hot, finger-licking mess.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Britain’s surging Green Party is making the bashing of Israel a centerpiece of its platform.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
The target of our petty president’s latest bashing is Pope Leo XIV, the first American leader of the Catholic Church, who seems to be a guy with Midwestern common sense.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Putin is lashing out by intensifying assaults on civilian targets, especially in the capital city of Kyiv.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Goldschmidt, lashing through the unhittable delivery, just stood in dismay.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Norma Jane Lumpkin, whose long hair hung past her waist, was four decades into a life sentence for her role in the 1981 bludgeoning death of her husband.—
Pamela Colloff,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Steyer stepped up his fight in the remaining days, seeking to squeeze into one of the top two spots by battering Becerra in ads and at campaign rallies as a politician propped up by corporate special interests.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
-
Wright’s approach to the saxophone is often cubist in nature, reducing the music to isolated phrases and sounds and then battering them from every conceivable angle.—
Levi Dayan,
Pitchfork,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pummeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pummeling. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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