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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
  • In the post, Wouter was pictured wearing a dog cone, which is used to prevent pets from licking, chewing or scratching surgical sites or wounds.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Baldwin’s post featured a video of the dog licking a cherry ice pop and looking at the rain.
    — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 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
  • To her, there was nothing about the real Beck that seemed necessary to hide.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Angelenos also should ensure the lids of their trash bins are closed and block any places around their homes where fleas can enter or hide.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of hide
Noun
  • 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
  • While often associated with blows to the head during contact sports, concussions are common at all ages.
    — Richard Sima, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of blows
Verb
  • People who get sick typically develop a sudden high fever along with a pounding headache, pain behind the eyes and deep aches in the muscles, joints and bones.
    — Andrés Henao, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Usually the bar is a rowdy reprieve filled with sweaty bodies and pounding bass lines, with Lo situated behind the DJ decks.
    — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 21 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
  • Trump has also lashed out at individual reporters in person or over social media, sometimes in strikingly personal terms -- insulting them in briefings, or in his recent speech at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Bigelow’s complaint highlights instances where Toro is alleged to lash out.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 20 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 27 Sep. 2026.

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