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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as in fistfight
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of punch out
CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
Packer defensive lineman Willie Davis somehow punched out the ball.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 Jan. 2026
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
Verb
But two plays later, Drake Maye was lunging forward on a run and had the ball punched out.
—CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
Packer defensive lineman Willie Davis somehow punched out the ball.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 Jan. 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
Verb
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Both have walked away from battles licking their wounds.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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Five caribou stood licking at the stain.—
Frank Glaser,
Outdoor Life,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Sources said Bygrave started arguing with his killer and had gotten into a fistfight with the suspect before the gunman pulled out a weapon and fired two shots.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
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At its worst, discourse over the fate of Sequoiadendron giganteum is an academic fistfight.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Children who give short answers, avoid eye contact, or seem overly eager to please may be hiding their true feelings.—
Wendy Wisner,
Parents,
11 Apr. 2026
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New York packs tons of it, and Mike Brown had no intention of hiding his hand against a potential playoff opponent.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The day the truce was announced, Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes, killing more than 300 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Eyes wide and heart pounding, Jason watched as the clock ticked away, as the Kansas City Chiefs racked up points against his Baltimore Ravens, and as the odds, and score, tipped insurmountably in their favor.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But outside of these rare exceptions, Mario’s pugilism was quickly retired in lieu of hammer hits and kid-friendly blows.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
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As a new generation of commanders rises within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps following recent military blows under Operation Epic Fury, analysts warn that this ideology may become even more entrenched.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Suarez lashed seven shots towards goal on his debut against Casa Pia, going closest after a stomping run in-behind the defence and a sharp shot into the side netting.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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Spencer Pratt lashed out at the Los Angeles Times and a rival mayoral candidate, accusing a reporter of harassing his family and trying to expose where his children live as his campaign gains traction in the polls.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Yankees started their slugfest in style against the Rays, as Judge’s big fly traveled 429 feet to the batter’s eye at Steinbrenner Field.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
20 Aug. 2025
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Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Jack Westover Notes: It’s been a slow, ugly slugfest among the backup tight ends to see who can win the No. 3 job.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
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State’s attorneys allege the pair engaged in a long-term pattern of mental and physical abuse of young Markell, including whipping him with a belt.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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In the Palm Springs North community on Tuesday, the tornado whipped across a lake and a couple of residential blocks, according to weather service meteorologist Ana Torres-Vazquez.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punch out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch%20out. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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