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
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 Jan. 2026
This bumps displacement from the Shiver's 896cc up to 996cc, punching out 105 hp at 9,000 rpm and 66 lb-ft of torque (95 Nm) at 6,500 rpm.
—New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2025
Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
The lefty was able to work his way out of trouble each time, first striking out Ozuna to end the third before getting a pair of punch-outs to end the fourth after initially putting two on with nobody out.
—Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch out
Verb
Packer defensive lineman Willie Davis somehow punched out the ball.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 Jan. 2026
This bumps displacement from the Shiver's 896cc up to 996cc, punching out 105 hp at 9,000 rpm and 66 lb-ft of torque (95 Nm) at 6,500 rpm.
—New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2025
Noun
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
The lefty was able to work his way out of trouble each time, first striking out Ozuna to end the third before getting a pair of punch-outs to end the fourth after initially putting two on with nobody out.
—Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch out
Verb
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The department shared photos of Ziggy, still wearing a bandage on his left hind leg, jumping up and licking Spring's face during a recent visit.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Seals off The San Diego Seals (6-8) are off this weekend and licking their wounds following a crushing 9-8 home loss to Buffalo on Saturday.—
Ivan Carter,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Valdez had gotten the better of another member of the gang during a fistfight earlier in the day near Roosevelt Ave.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
23 Mar. 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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Controversial school policies hiding students’ gender transitions from parents remains a ripe issue the Supreme Court should take up, activists argue, despite the justices already handing parents a win in an emergency docket case on the matter earlier this month.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
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But her lover, the increasingly controlling and unhinged army corporal Don José, is gradually dimished to lurking in the shadows and hiding in crowds.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sonically, the track (produced and composed by Gavilan) is a melancholic grassroots folk song accompanied by weeping guitar riffs and a heart-pounding cajón.—
Tere Aguilera,
Billboard,
27 Mar. 2026
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Alongside a squad of volunteers, Blanton made her way down a dozen streets, pounding her fist on door after door, pitching Coppell ISD schools to whoever answered.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Shesterkin’s first thought was about how big the 6-foot-6 Markström was, but the smaller goalie still managed to land the majority of the blows.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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Parks turned into deserts, great skyscrapers leveled by blows from the tails of the monsters, and the entire population threatened in the panic and pestilence that followed the invasion.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One side of the brush features short, dense bristles that deposit rich black color and build volume, while the longer bristles on the other side help guide lashes upward.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
28 Mar. 2026
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Toward the end of the final episode of Love Story, Constance Zimmer’s Ann Messina Freeman lashes out at Caroline Kennedy over her daughters’ deaths.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 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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For 10 minutes, Boyd took in the scene as the flags whipped above the center-field scoreboard, Cubs infielders took grounders and stadium workers finished final preparations before 39,712 fans streamed into the ballpark.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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This pizza has soppressata, whipped ricotta and drizzles of hot honey.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punch out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch%20out. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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