punches out

verb

present tense third-person singular of punch out
as in licks
to strike repeatedly you should take a course in anger management—you can't go around punching out people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 punches out Cobie Durant sees an interception bounce off his chest, and Donovan Ezeiruaku punches out a fumble that is recovered by New York. — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punches out
  1. licks
  2. pounds
  3. hides
  4. lashes
  5. beats
  6. whips
  7. works over
  8. does
Verb
  • That glib self-confidence is present in McNamara, who licks the doughnut glaze off his fingers before offering his hand to the female detective questioning the one living Jason.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Later, a woman protractedly licks blue ice cream from a cone, her attempts thwarted by ferocious gusts of wind and sand.
    — Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of licks
Verb
  • Wyatt pounds Poly, but win or lose the Chaps would be the second seed and Brewer third due to Wyatt’s win over the Bears.
    — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Higher prices come as Ukraine pounds Russian refineries, forcing Moscow to ban diesel exports.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of pounds
Verb
  • More than 60 miles into the Andaman Sea, South Asia’s only active volcano hides a thriving underwater world shaped by fire and teeming with life.
    — Avantika Chaturvedi, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Its story follows the Forgers, a household that keeps up the appearance of an ordinary life while each member hides something.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of hides
Verb
  • Her glam was equally gorgeous—fluttery lashes with a smooth complexion thanks to L’Oréal Paris’s Age Perfect Anti-Aging Midnight Cream Moisturizer.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Alpha 1, who’s most strict about the disease’s suppression, lashes out uncontrollably.
    — Cortlyn Kelly, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of lashes
Verb
  • Instead of the cartoon alien who loves Oreos and beats up other alien bad guys, this run turns John Jones (FKA J'onn J'onnz) into an FBI agent who survives a suicide bombing and merges with an alien entity.
    — Cooper Katz McKim, NPR, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The Magic 9 also beats the 17 Pro Max in sharpness and color reproduction.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of beats
Verb
  • Shutters bang, screen doors slam; the wind whips them all into a frenzy.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Paddling along the shoreline of a small lake in the wilderness, as pine and spruce trees hover over the dark water’s edge and the wind whips waves against the canoe, a human knows her place.
    — Story Hinckley, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of whips
Verb
  • Men were more likely to buy at higher price points, with 13% of men buying works over $100,000 compared to 7% for women.
    — Robert Frank, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Plainly, this router works over time to support your connection.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of works over
Verb
  • California Surfaces does mostly new homes and commercial jobs such as airports and hospitals.
    — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The robot does the physical work while a person controls its movements from a safer location.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of does

Browse Nearby Words

punches
punches out
punching
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Punches out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punches%20out. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

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

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All