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
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Recent Examples of pummeling
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
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
Shawn Tully, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
That’s precisely what the Hornets did in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, pummeling the Nets 117-86 at Barclays Center to halt a two-game losing streak at the hands of Philadelphia and Boston over the weekend.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
Miami got off to a 1-6 start because every NFL team was pummeling the Dolphins on the ground.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Through a mix of orders, shaming, and a whole lot of banging of the gavel, the octogenarian managed to avoid a nightmare scenario of one of his colleagues pummeling a witness.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Caught on camera, the violent altercation involved multiple suspects pummeling a man while allegedly hurling religious slurs.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 13 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
Noun
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
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
Verb
The report notes that a big increase in supply is pummeling the south and west.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
That’s precisely what the Hornets did in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, pummeling the Nets 117-86 at Barclays Center to halt a two-game losing streak at the hands of Philadelphia and Boston over the weekend.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
Miami got off to a 1-6 start because every NFL team was pummeling the Dolphins on the ground.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Through a mix of orders, shaming, and a whole lot of banging of the gavel, the octogenarian managed to avoid a nightmare scenario of one of his colleagues pummeling a witness.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Caught on camera, the violent altercation involved multiple suspects pummeling a man while allegedly hurling religious slurs.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 13 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummeling
Noun
-
His only Champions League goal arrived in January’s 6-0 thrashing of Qarabag, and his only assists in the competition came in similarly comfortable wins over Eintracht Frankfurt and Galatasaray.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Wild video captured the moment a young fisherman plunged into pounding Southern California surf to wrestle a thrashing shark and free it from his fishing line.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Workers and technicians are hammering away in preparation for the return of Blue Man Group to Orlando, right down to the placement and pounding of PVC pipes, one of the ensemble’s distinctive musical instruments.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Moisés Ballesteros, Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ homered, and the Chicago Cubs handed the Mets their ninth straight loss, pounding New York 12-4 on Friday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
An abduction sequence ties the audience’s nerves in knots with cinematographer Isaac Bauman’s athletic tracking shot loping up the stairs to Margot’s apartment accompanied by Gavin Brivik’s pulse-hammering score.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Yes, Super Mario Galaxy Movie will have all the hammering power of Imax and PLF screens.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There’s Cassie licking a melting ice cream cone as the ice cream drips down her bare chest.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Your table will be licking their fingers.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Which seems like the anxiety Chalamet was trying to express with his needless opera bashing.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On his last day before he’s scheduled to ride off on his motorcycle for a three-month sabbatical that’s only barely disguising his suicidal ideation, Robby spends his final shift lashing out at his co-workers.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Things are not going well at the moment, so the president is lashing out.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 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
-
The Giants rediscovered their offense Friday, battering one of their former pitchers and winning 10-5 against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Super Typhoon Sinlaku began battering the Northern Mariana Islands earlier this week, causing damage on the islands of Tinian and Saipan and flash flooding in Guam, the site of several American military bases.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pummeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pummeling. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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