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
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 The report shows that students are now 25% less likely to get these math questions – the ones AI can punch out easily, the ones that students are spending less time on – correct. — Derek Newton, Forbes.com, 30 June 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
  • There was the physician who analyzed the growth rate of his fingernails for 35 years and the geologist who looked into why his colleagues lick rocks.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026
  • An ancient Nazi scientist (Dan Stevens) crawling across a carpet to lick a woman’s stilettoed foot.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of lick
Noun
  • Bennett had gotten into a fistfight with Bowman outside an Atlanta hookah lounge and was fatally shot by someone in Bowman’s entourage.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • After the high-speed chase erupts into gunfire and a brutal fistfight, Kim hijacks the vehicle, takes the official hostage and speeds off a bridge into the water below.
    — Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of fistfight
Verb
  • Instead of hiding the internal mechanism, the design makes the mechanical elements part of the experience — allowing users to see, feel, and interact with the structure.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Taylor built a career out of being fully, unapologetically herself, rarely hiding behind the cloak of fame with an unrelenting focus on her pursuits.
    — Kathy Lee, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of hide
Noun
  • Their failure was perceived as part of a pattern of significant blows to union power during the Reagan era.
    — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Zeller sets this up ably by incorporating the sledgehammer blows of the builder hired by Toby into percussive passages of Volker Bertelmann’s ominous score.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of blows
Verb
  • The Americans were constantly pounding the ball inside and converting turnovers into easy layups.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Communities have seen waves pound the coastline, eroding the shore and putting homes and infrastructure at risk.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 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
  • Alpha 1, who’s most strict about the disease’s suppression, lashes out uncontrollably.
    — Cortlyn Kelly, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The Philippines is among the countries most exposed to powerful typhoons, some 20 of which lash the archipelago every year, causing considerable damage and casualties due to floods and landslides.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 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
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Cite this Entry

“Punch out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch%20out. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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