punch out 1 of 2

verb

Definition of punch outnext
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly you should take a course in anger management—you can't go around punching out people

Synonyms & Similar Words

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punch-out

2 of 2

noun

as in fistfight

Related Words

Dissimilar 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 punch out
Verb
Burn the sandwich, toast it again; scrub every plate and punch out with pride. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 The Folsom Police Department responded shortly before noon Sunday, according to daily activity logs, which state an unknown suspect reportedly punched out the passenger door lock and set fire to the vehicle. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
Noun
The two of them flirt, but of course the affair is not consummated, and Sergeant Sullivan pits them against each other in a punch-out exercise. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025 But back in the 2010s, Kershaw was a dominant strikeout pitcher who recorded at least 200 punch-outs in a season seven times during the ten-year span from 2010 to 2019. — Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for punch out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch out
  1. lick
  2. fistfight
  3. hide
  4. blows
  5. pound
  6. slugfest
  7. lash
  8. punch-up
Verb
  • The Sox move on to Cleveland while the Cubs come home to lick their wounds.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The Bombers beat the Red Sox 9-2 in Game 2 after winning the series opening game 9-0, sending New England’s hardball heroes home to lick their wounds until next spring.
    — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of lick
Noun
  • When the race goes green on Sunday, Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar — protagonists in a late accident at Bristol and the fistfight that followed — will be subjects of intense scrutiny.
    — Reid Spencer, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026
  • So much so, that after a misunderstanding at Grace and Keith’s wedding rehearsal dinner, harsh words were screamed, and Keith challenged my husband, Jason, to a fistfight.
    — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of fistfight
Verb
  • The Trask twins have grown up with the lie that their mother died, and while Cal hides his wounds from that absence, Aron doesn’t.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Interior designers and professional organizers say most kitchens hide usable square footage in plain sight, trapped behind clutter, bad habits and bulky gear that could be stored smarter or edited out entirely.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of hide
Noun
  • And the former running back, who may be suffering from too many blows to the head, shot back that none of those players were drafted by the Steelers.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • And in a single season, a high school or college football player absorbs an estimated 600 to 1,000 subconcussive blows.
    — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of blows
Verb
  • Moscow's forces pounded apartment buildings, offices, gas stations and data centers, among other targets.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
  • On a hot Saturday, Pawlikowski and I revisited those heights—the slopes from which, for almost four years, starting in the spring of 1992, Serbian artillery pounded Sarajevo, which lies vulnerably cupped in the valley below.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of pound
Noun
  • Sweden loses key piece The first half was a sloppy slugfest as both teams tried to use their physicality to assume control.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2026
  • The Republican race for governor between Rick Jackson and Burt Jones has been nothing short of a slugfest.
    — Shannon McCaffrey, AJC.com, 10 June 2026
Definition of slugfest
Verb
  • The worst of the deadly nor'easter that's lashed the Northeast is behind us, and Monday will feature minor impacts as the storm winds down.
    — Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin lashed out at Judge Judy’s remarks about unhappy Americans.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of lash
Noun
  • About deluded coaches and philandering teammates and practice-field punch-ups.
    — Leander Schaerlaeckens June 8, Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
  • Among them are Neeson as a Great Gatsby-esque type who puts Declan in the hospital after a punch-up and Cleese as a priest who also doubles as the Grim Reaper.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 11 May 2026
Definition of punch-up

Browse Nearby Words

punching out
punch out
punch-out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Punch out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch%20out. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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