variants
also shillalahs
as in canes
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shillelaghs
Noun
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Cover the pot and the bottom few inches of the rose canes with soil, then add a layer of mulch for insulation.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
30 Sep. 2025 -
Multiple video cameras captured the dynamic choreo on giant screens behind the stage as McRae and her entourage danced with canes, strutted down a catwalk, seductively gyrated on moving platforms, and even pole-danced.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The plaintiffs later accused the department of violating the order by hitting journalists with batons and arresting them during an August protest.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
15 Sep. 2025
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Reuters reported that police used water cannons, batons, rubber bullets and tear gas against protesters.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Instead of shuffling through the deep cabinet shelves for small jars, attach rows of slim shelves with dowel rods to safely hold a few dozen spices.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Sep. 2025
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Then there's seals, assuming these rods will extend through a rubber tire surface that gets covered in all kinds of mud, liquid and grit on a daily basis.—
Loz Blain
September 23,
New Atlas,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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From deployment choices to formational tweaks, these special teams reps can be a useful window into some of the work that teams and coaching staffs are putting in behind the scenes.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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The result is not just uncertainty for viewers, TV executives and show staffs, but a pall over an advertising category that's long been a staple of live TV.—
Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Selfridges is set to open 40 Duke in spring 2026, its latest venture into the members clubs space.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Footwear News,
2 Oct. 2025
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The Premier League has been trying to persuade its clubs to make this change for over a year but has so far not found enough agreement around the table to even put the idea to a vote.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Shillelaghs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shillelaghs. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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