as in licking
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of punching out
In the bottom of the eighth, former Giant Camilo Doval struck out the side, punching out Ramos, Casey Schmitt and Patrick Bailey — all swinging.
—
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
The 24-year-old Sasaki threw a smooth 16 pitches, punching out the right-handed hitting Zavala, and inducing a pair of groundballs to shortstop from the lefty Kim.
—Jack Vita, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 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
Outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson later had the game-clinching takeaway late in the fourth quarter after the Patriots had taken the lead, punching out the ball after a catch by Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers that cornerback Marcus Jones recovered.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
Two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell tossed six scoreless innings, punching out nine and allowing just one hit.
—Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
The 24-year-old Sasaki threw a smooth 16 pitches, punching out the right-handed hitting Zavala, and inducing a pair of groundballs to shortstop from the lefty Kim.
—Jack Vita, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 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
Outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson later had the game-clinching takeaway late in the fourth quarter after the Patriots had taken the lead, punching out the ball after a catch by Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers that cornerback Marcus Jones recovered.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
Two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell tossed six scoreless innings, punching out nine and allowing just one hit.
—Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punching out
Verb
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Both have walked away from battles licking their wounds.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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Five caribou stood licking at the stain.—
Frank Glaser,
Outdoor Life,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tornado sirens, cell phone alerts, high winds and pounding rain woke up Michigan residents as severe weather pushed through the state overnight Tuesday.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Visitors can enjoy heart-pounding adventures like zip lining through the forest canopy, rock climbing on the gorge’s steep cliffs, and whitewater rafting on the New River’s epic Class I to V rapids.—
Jordan Charbonneau,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The lawsuit alleged that Alden facilities often were staffed at just 50 percent of the legal requirements, then hiding it from regulators in part through ghost workers and false reports.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
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Stop hiding behind other people and just say it yourself.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Things are not going well at the moment, so the president is lashing out.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
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After lashing out at Morgan for suggesting that Lucia was a suspect, Karadec shows up at Morgan’s front door to apologize, leading to a tearful heart-to-heart between the partners.—
Max Gao,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Raw came back from break with all three teams taking turns working over Akira Tozawa.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Using clean hands and working over a colander, wring out the extra water and tear the soaked bread into pieces.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Subtlety never stood a chance, with Cardi leaning fully into the chaos all night — chopping the air with her arms, sticking out her tongue, whipping her head, contorting her body, dropping into splits and backbends without warning.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Apr. 2026
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State’s attorneys allege the pair engaged in a long-term pattern of mental and physical abuse of young Markell, including whipping him with a belt.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Even the Altitude Edition with the black wheels -- at the time no one was really doing that.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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The authority on gardening in the South loved doing live shows and meeting his fans.—
Rodney Ho,
AJC.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On the throw home, Williams advanced to second, beating a tag, and Brown raced home from third to score the third run.—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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Deni Avdija had 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Blazers, who advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2021 by beating the Phoenix Suns in the Play-In Tournament.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punching out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punching%20out. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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