variants
also shillalah
as in cane
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
the bartender in the Irish pub keeps a shillelagh behind the bar just in case there's trouble
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shillelagh
Sheamus brought Rusev to the first row and then hit the 10 Beats for yet a third time, this time with a shillelagh.
—
Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Maier, who was heading out of town that weekend for a meeting of the National League of Cities, saw the foot-long shillelagh and, according to a Milwaukee Sentinel story by Marta Bender, mistook it for a pipe.
—Chris Foran, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025
The original shillelagh was retired with a new one introduced in 1997.
—Tom Layberger, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
There are fleas and chamber pots and thumbed noses and a St. Patrick’s Day picnic that — hold on to your shillelagh!
—Dan Barry, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024
Or this:Youu can't pack a shillelagh in your carry-on: TSA finds cudgel at Idaho airport Meg Foster, a justice fellow at Georgetown University's Center on Privacy and Technology, said there are concerns about bias within the algorithms of various facial recognition technologies.
—Rebecca Santana and Rick Gentilo, USA TODAY, 15 May 2023
In contemporary times, some people study bataireacht, a type of Irish martial art, using the shillelagh.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2023
Air travelers, take note: Be sure to keep your guns and your knives and shillelaghs – and your cats for that matter – out of your carry-ons.
—Forrest Brown, CNN, 19 Apr. 2023
Owusu Koramoah loved it when former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly hoisted the jeweled shillelagh in the locker room when the Irish would beat USC.
—Jimmy Watkins, cleveland, 9 Dec. 2022
Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Maier, who was heading out of town that weekend for a meeting of the National League of Cities, saw the foot-long shillelagh and, according to a Milwaukee Sentinel story by Marta Bender, mistook it for a pipe.
—Chris Foran, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025
The original shillelagh was retired with a new one introduced in 1997.
—Tom Layberger, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
There are fleas and chamber pots and thumbed noses and a St. Patrick’s Day picnic that — hold on to your shillelagh!
—Dan Barry, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024
Or this:Youu can't pack a shillelagh in your carry-on: TSA finds cudgel at Idaho airport Meg Foster, a justice fellow at Georgetown University's Center on Privacy and Technology, said there are concerns about bias within the algorithms of various facial recognition technologies.
—Rebecca Santana and Rick Gentilo, USA TODAY, 15 May 2023
In contemporary times, some people study bataireacht, a type of Irish martial art, using the shillelagh.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2023
Air travelers, take note: Be sure to keep your guns and your knives and shillelaghs – and your cats for that matter – out of your carry-ons.
—Forrest Brown, CNN, 19 Apr. 2023
Owusu Koramoah loved it when former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly hoisted the jeweled shillelagh in the locker room when the Irish would beat USC.
—Jimmy Watkins, cleveland, 9 Dec. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shillelagh
Noun
-
Prosecutors said Korosa, who was wearing a walking boot on his foot and using a cane, struck the man on his back and head with the cane, causing the man to fall down the stairs and drop the boy.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
-
That's when Korosa allegedly hit Soria with a cane, causing Soria and Flores to plummet down the stairs.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Video footage verified by CNN shows the moment an officer draws his baton amid a struggle with one demonstrator as other officers tussle with protesters on the ground.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
-
This is not just the violence of batons or bullets, but the quieter devastation inflicted by law through denial, deferral or bureaucratic neglect.—
Hansel Alejandro Aguilar,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The steel-rod reinforcement does double duty keeping joints tight and gap free and adding stability at each corner as well as anchoring the home to the ground.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
-
As one wanders out into a field, rod in hand, ready for the twitch.—
Leila Chatti
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Each transcribed interview has been closed-door and conducted over several hours by the majority and minority committee staff.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Having spoken to multiple members of staff at the airport, Brittney and Hannah were eventually booked onto a flight to France.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shillelagh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shillelagh. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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