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
Using cutter and working with a few slices stacked together at a time, punch out enough rounds to fill bottom of pan. — Alexia Duchêne, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Sep. 2026 Ohtani swung through a slider, then took a pair of strikes to punch out looking on three pitches from the Cardinals’ Gordon Graceffo in the fourth inning. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 3 Sep. 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
  • Unfortunately for us, those tenants have evolved a sticky knack for evading eviction, creating a webbing known as biofilm that prevents them from being easily licked or swallowed away.
    — Mike McRae, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
  • That’s not exactly chump change, considering Atlanta was still licking its wounds after the Great Depression.
    — Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of lick
Noun
  • Of course, beating the Jets is a little like winning a fistfight against a guy who’s already unconscious.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Some puzzlers describe solving the crossword as a workout; for me, today’s was a knock-down, drag-out fistfight.
    — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of fistfight
Verb
  • In Fallen Leaves Adult pests, larvae, and eggs can all hide out in old and fallen leaves that have dropped off deciduous plants, trees, and dead veggies.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 6 Nov. 2026
  • What starts as a thrilling hustle exposes just how many guns are hiding inside the homes of their seemingly safe community.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of hide
Noun
  • Elsewhere, investors are absorbing the blows from a selloff in artificial intelligence stocks on Thursday, which saw the Nasdaq, S&P 500, and Russell 2000 all log their worst one-day loss since April 2025, according to FactSet data.
    — Sarah Min,Sawdah Bhaimiya,Sean Conlon, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Since the breakdown of a truce in July, Saudi Arabia has traded blows with the Houthis, who have retaliated with strikes on Saudi airports, energy infrastructure and military sites that killed at least 20 people in October.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of blows
Verb
  • Using the textured side of a meat mallet, gently pound the meat until it’s slightly flattened, creating indentations all over the surface.
    — Natalia Vela, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Rain pounded the region on Sunday, and one of the pilots reported icing conditions at a high altitude in communications with air traffic control.
    — David Fischer, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 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
  • Heavy rains lashed the Gaza Strip, flooding tents and intensifying the misery of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Trump lashed out at Pirro over the admission and has continued to claim vandals were to blame.
    — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 2 Nov. 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 9 Nov. 2026.

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