as in licks
to strike repeatedly
pummeled the mugger with her fists until help arrived
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Recent Examples of pummels
Debris pummels Rodney Stover’s back, buckling him to his knees.
—
Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Russia pummels Ukraine almost nightly with Shahed long-range attack drones — originally from Iran.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Ruben, a charming but terrifyingly angry juvenile delinquent, pummels timid, bookish Niall’s bullies.
—Judy Berman, Time, 21 Apr. 2026
As rain pummels the region, rivers, creeks and streams could rise and overflow, and flooding is possible in some urban areas.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 7 Dec. 2025
Millions of people are facing a flood risk on Friday as an atmospheric river pummels Southern California with torrential rainfall.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
On a crowded street, Morejón strides up to the man and pummels him to the ground.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Israel pummels Gaza by cosplaying at self defense.
—James Folta
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Russia pummels Ukraine overnight as peace talks stall Russia hammered Ukraine with 526 drones overnight, a further escalation of Moscow’s aerial assault.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Russia pummels Ukraine almost nightly with Shahed long-range attack drones — originally from Iran.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Ruben, a charming but terrifyingly angry juvenile delinquent, pummels timid, bookish Niall’s bullies.
—Judy Berman, Time, 21 Apr. 2026
As rain pummels the region, rivers, creeks and streams could rise and overflow, and flooding is possible in some urban areas.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 7 Dec. 2025
Millions of people are facing a flood risk on Friday as an atmospheric river pummels Southern California with torrential rainfall.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
On a crowded street, Morejón strides up to the man and pummels him to the ground.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Israel pummels Gaza by cosplaying at self defense.
—James Folta
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Russia pummels Ukraine overnight as peace talks stall Russia hammered Ukraine with 526 drones overnight, a further escalation of Moscow’s aerial assault.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummels
Verb
-
A lot of freedom going on between the guitars, a lotta little licks intermingle with the big guitar licks that the song is all about.—
Liza Lentini,
SPIN,
22 May 2026
-
At one point A’zion licks the digitally de-aged Mick Jagger’s face.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The long silhouette gives you ample coverage and hides pesky sweat spots (like the inner thighs), while still offering a lightweight feel.—
Alyssa Morin,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
-
But this spectacular view hides some interesting details.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Rain pounds down in a stinging curtain.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
-
Her silver nail polish—reminiscent of the shade worn by Lou Reed (from one New York legend to another) in footage shown during Todd Haynes’s documentary The Velvet Underground—sparkles as Gaga pounds the keys of her piano throughout the film.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
In the fourth minute, Meschack Elia whips a ball across the box to Bakambu, eight yards from goal.—
Franklin Leonard,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
-
Stephen Fry whips out his phone to snag a picture with Johnny Knoxville inside the Fox Upfront 2026 afterparty in New York City on May 11.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
If Pereira beats Gane and becomes a three-division champion — something no one has done in UFC history — does that crown him the greatest of all time?—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
In a fragmented world, clarity beats noise.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Wilhelm enters the room, removes most of his clothing and gets into bed with her, slaps her, pushes her away and then caresses her face and cradles her.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
That direct relationship is what separates a true farm to table operation from a restaurant that simply slaps the phrase on a marketing page.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Enough sunshine on Sunday should push temperatures back into the low 90s before a cooler breeze knocks us back to normal on Monday.—
Bill Kelly,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
-
And that's when a shot blasts through the door and knocks Lena to the ground.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
From Bay Area poetry slams to national television, Frak has built a career around quick wit, improvisation, and sharp punchlines.—
Tylan Jennings,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
-
Justin Crawford slams into the wall for an INCREDIBLE catch!—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pummels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pummels. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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