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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The edible fruit can be used to make jelly, but watch for thorns on the shrub’s canes.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
27 May 2026 -
More to Explore Many of the human props—canes, top hats, desks—used in primate taxidermy became unfashionable in the first half of the nineteenth century, but there were still throwbacks.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Silvera is especially fond of a moment in which the Swordsman uses Daredevil’s batons.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
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Videos on social media show officers in riot gear deploying tear gas and using batons to beat back the demonstrators.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Shillelaghs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shillelaghs. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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