as in licked
to strike repeatedly
you should take a course in anger management—you can't go around punching out people
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Recent Examples of punched out
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
In a closeout opportunity for the defending champions, Shohei Ohtani took the mound for LA and punched out 10 batters across six-plus scoreless innings of work.
—Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
The mass of players converged in a pile after the snap, and as Arnold leaned across the goal line, Georgia linebacker CJ Allen punched out the football.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Then, Rams running back Kyren Williams fumbled on his way to the end zone, the ball literally punched out just feet away from scoring a go-ahead touchdown.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2025
The late, great Red Sox legend Luis Tiant also punched out 11 in his MLB debut, but with Cleveland on July 19, 1964; his performance was exactly four years after Hall of Famer Juan Marichal racked up 12 in his first career game on July 19, 1960.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
Packer defensive lineman Willie Davis somehow punched out the ball.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 Jan. 2026
In a closeout opportunity for the defending champions, Shohei Ohtani took the mound for LA and punched out 10 batters across six-plus scoreless innings of work.
—Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
The mass of players converged in a pile after the snap, and as Arnold leaned across the goal line, Georgia linebacker CJ Allen punched out the football.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Then, Rams running back Kyren Williams fumbled on his way to the end zone, the ball literally punched out just feet away from scoring a go-ahead touchdown.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2025
The late, great Red Sox legend Luis Tiant also punched out 11 in his MLB debut, but with Cleveland on July 19, 1964; his performance was exactly four years after Hall of Famer Juan Marichal racked up 12 in his first career game on July 19, 1960.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punched out
Verb
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Just hours before Saturday morning’s Shabbat service, flames and smoke licked through the synagogue, destroying at least two Torahs and many prayer books.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
14 Jan. 2026
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When asked by director Marina Zenovich if there was a time when Chase walked away from his mother and stepfather and never saw them again, Chase pretended to swat a fly on his forehead, then licked his fingers as if eating the imaginary bug.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Celtics pounded the paint with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, a pair of bruising bigs who also can force the issue from 3-point range despite their lumbering dispositions.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
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Trump seems to have arrived, on his own, at the same understanding of geography and politics that was pounded into the heads of Soviet schoolchildren, including Putin and me.—
M. Gessen,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This is far from the first time the White House has lashed out at the cohosts of The View.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Jan. 2026
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Trump has lashed out at five GOP senators who joined with Democrats to advance the resolution last week, raising doubts that the measure will ultimately pass.—
Stephen Groves,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cignetti went for it on fourth-and-5 at Miami’s 37, and the result was a first-down catch by Charlie Becker, who whipped around to snag a back-shoulder pass for a 19-yard gain.—
Alanis Thames,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Jan. 2026
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The document says the ICE agent allegedly whipped his sons with a belt, made homophobic slurs and racist remarks about Black and Latino people and brought a gun to a youth sports game.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Citing preliminary information, police said the driver turned north from Bovet Road onto South El Camino and hit the pedestrian in the north crosswalk of South El Camino Real at 17th Avenue.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
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The Torreys hit just one of eight shots in the quarter and committed five turnovers, most of them against Parker’s full-court press.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sure, some out there were robbing old people, choking people, robbing them, beating them up, taking their money, but Troy just wasn’t like that.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Jalen Brunson scored 28 points and the New York Knicks dominated the fourth quarter to beat the Sacramento Kings 103-87 on Tuesday night for their third straight victory.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The injury that knocked Denver’s Bo Nix out of the playoffs has created a most unusual situation with Jarrett Stidham set to start the AFC title game after not throwing a single pass during a game the last two seasons.—
Josh Dubow,
Twin Cities,
21 Jan. 2026
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Also on Monday, a 10-year-old boy escaped unharmed after a shark knocked him off his surfboard and bit a chunk out of it, while a day earlier, another boy was left in critical condition after being bitten at a city beach.—
Alasdair Pal,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One study in 2020 surveyed 261 herders in Mongolia, another common habitat for snow leopards; while many reported having seen snow leopards, or had their livestock attacked by snow leopards, none reported any attacks on humans.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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The upstream piranhas attacked her, and her blood flowing downstream attracted the rest of the piranhas, leaving the creek clear for the herd to cross.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punched out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punched%20out. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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