as in licks
to strike repeatedly
pummeled the mugger with her fists until help arrived
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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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
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Food stands also debuted that year, with ribs sizzling along with the blues licks.
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At one point in a dinner scene, Shields' Erika licks Joey's fingers.
Verb
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Also in Scorsese’s film, Cady’s crimes are so galling that Sam, Cady’s defense lawyer, breaks his own oath to his client and hides evidence that might have helped get Cady off (a change from MacDonald’s novel).
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The main event is its almost-sheer yet transformative coverage that hides pores, redness, and wrinkles, all the while imparting deep hydration via hyaluronic acid.
Verb
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Teams go bonkers when the player pounds their school name on the bracket.
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Rain pounds down in a stinging curtain.
Verb
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The vessel bends, blocks, and whips the wind into complex micro-currents before the air ever hits the sails.
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In the fourth minute, Meschack Elia whips a ball across the box to Bakambu, eight yards from goal.
Verb
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England or Ghana are the likeliest candidates unless group mate Panama, who’s already eliminated, beats England on Saturday — in which case rip up your predictions and embrace the chaos.
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On the verify level, one action beats everything else combined.
Verb
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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.
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That direct relationship is what separates a true farm to table operation from a restaurant that simply slaps the phrase on a marketing page.
Verb
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From conveyor belts and baggage carts to overhead bins and taxi trunks, luggage is constantly subjected to bumps, knocks and rough handling.
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This knocks Europe out in a single shot.
Verb
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His hand fans out into a wave, then the door slams shut.
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Granit Xhaka slams it into the right corner of the net.
Cite this Entry
“Pummels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pummels. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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