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

Relevance

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 De La Salle product punched out a pair apiece in the first and second, then struck out three in both the third and fourth. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 3 June 2026 Danny Nelson starred again from the mound for Leominster in a 4-1 win over Shepherd Hill, allowing just three hits while punching out 10 in a complete game. — Kristina Banahan, Boston Herald, 20 May 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
  • That means no tasting cookie dough made with raw eggs, no licking brownie batter off the beaters, and no homemade Caesar dressing made with uncooked yolks.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 23 July 2026
  • The best restaurant sauces can tempt even the most prim and proper of us to lift up our plates and lick them clean.
    — Rochelle Bilow, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 July 2026
Definition of lick
Noun
  • Later, Enola also participates in a horseback chase and violent fistfight with the female villain.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2026
  • Its satirical video, depicting politicians descending into an all-out fistfight, proved especially prescient during the fevered atmosphere of the 2016 election cycle.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 17 June 2026
Definition of fistfight
Verb
  • The tree in Athens isn’t likely to make it through the construction of a new $225 million courthouse, despite some interest in preserving the piece of history hiding in plain sight.
    — Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
  • The tinkerer believes there is always another possibility hiding beneath the surface of failure.
    — Lintao "LT" Lu, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of hide
Noun
  • The eighth and final reprieve followed an extraordinary meeting of the Board of Pardons at which a State Police major, who believed Smith was innocent, nearly came to blows with Smith’s prosecutor, who was just as convinced of Smith’s guilt.
    — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
  • In a little corner of my mind, however, history will always mean the tragic smashing of individual lives by its cruel hands and the scattering of bewildered people reeling from its blows.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 July 2026
Definition of blows
Verb
  • Ukraine continues to pound Putin's energy assets, taking some Russian oil refining offline.
    — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 23 July 2026
  • But the Thai-style of salad—a combination of sour (som) and pounded ingredients (tam)—can be applied to a wide array of produce.
    — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 July 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
  • Iran’s foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, also lashed out at Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 27 July 2026
  • Some lashed out at United’s fan representatives — volunteers who have been working behind the scenes to try to help.
    — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 22 July 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 29 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inveigle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All