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punching bags

noun

plural of punching bag
as in losers

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for punching bags
  1. losers
  2. flops
  3. washouts
Noun
  • The biggest losers right now are truckload carriers, especially small firms or owner-operators.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • But the specific way markets are taking root—with much of the population too poor to participate meaningfully, with no rule of law, and with the gap between winners and losers steadily widening—is pernicious for the country’s future.
    — Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of losers
Noun
  • Finally, Vic gives up on being wheelbarrowed and full-body flops on the floor with only their feet under the velvet rope.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • But after Annapurna moved from financing its movies to distributing them in 2017, costs rose, flops piled up, and Megan Ellison scaled back her ambitions.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of flops
Noun
  • Officials said special attention will be given to gravel roads that could be susceptible to washouts and erosion.
    — Detroit Free Press, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • But in a world where a few basis points separates legends from washouts, a 10-point edge is an enormous windfall for anyone who trusted Kalshi’s numbers over those crunched by CME, the giant futures-exchange operator.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of washouts
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.

Browse Nearby Words

punching bag
punching bags
punching out
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Cite this Entry

“Punching bags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punching%20bags. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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