as in punch
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
one well aimed slug on the head knocked him out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in snail
a lazy person
he's always a slug in the morning, which is why he prefers to sleep late
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to punch
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
she got so angry that she slugged the back of the chair and knocked it over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of slug
Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Tulip pests, including aphids, slugs, and snails, can also stunt the growth of the plant.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026
Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 9 Mar. 2026
The Miami Hurricanes’ slugging outfielder didn’t waste the opportunity, depositing the pitch into right field for a go-ahead two-run double in the Hurricanes’ eventual 5-2 win over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats on Wednesday at Mark Light Field.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slug
Noun
The infection is often spread by people either eating undercooked snails or slugs, or through people eating raw produce that has whole or parts of infected snails or slugs, according to the report.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Tulip pests, including aphids, slugs, and snails, can also stunt the growth of the plant.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
That, paired with a mechanical issue that zapped his pull-side power and created more pop-ups, were a nasty combo for a first baseman expected to slug.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 9 Mar. 2026
The Miami Hurricanes’ slugging outfielder didn’t waste the opportunity, depositing the pitch into right field for a go-ahead two-run double in the Hurricanes’ eventual 5-2 win over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats on Wednesday at Mark Light Field.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slug
Verb
-
The Rockets are a team that lost its starting point guard (Fred VanVleet) at the start of the year while the Knicks brought back and built upon the exact same core that punched the franchise’s first ticket to the conference finals in the last quarter-century.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Manning allegedly punched and kicked Hartman in the face and torso, scratched her, choked her and grabbed her by the hair and slammed her against the floor and wall.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Five pitchers combined for nine strikeouts and allowed just hits for Andrew (4-3).—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Among them was Linda Parker, the president and CEO of Women In Distress of Broward County, who said Metayer’s death hit close to home.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Airlines across the region, like Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific are slapping hefty fuel surcharges on flights; Vietnam and the Philippines are even weighing whether to ground planes.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
This month, the influential environmental group Conservation Colorado filed ballot measures with the state elections office that would slap stricter penalties on the energy industry for the pollution and contamination that result from its operations.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On Wednesday, the Braves had been in an 0-for-14 slump with runners in scoring position until Baldwin smacked a two-out single to left with the bases loaded in the second.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Other incidents over the years have seen fans grab at Nikki Bella or actually smacking Alex Bliss on the backside as Nia Jax was carrying her over her shoulder from a previous segment.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Remember, as little as 6 inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
About 2 minutes and 40 seconds into the fight, Grasso drilled Barber in the head with a left hook, knocking her out.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On this postcard-perfect corner of Canada’s northeastern province of Newfoundland and Labrador that’s slammed by wind and waves, cod-fishing communities hold on to their distinctive settler history.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
-
On Sunday, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees slammed Congress for leaving Washington for the Easter/Passover break without reaching an agreement on funding DHS.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Catcher Patrick Bailey went for the pick instead of a block, and Winn’s splitter banged off the backstop.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Diehard fans banged bass drums, songs emanated from the supporters’ wall and a packed stadium of 7,211 buzzed all the way through stoppage time of a tense game.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The school had also employed about two dozen teachers and administrative staff, many of whom were young graduates in their 20s now without an income – at a time when their nation’s already struggling economy has been further pounded by war.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Wild video captured the moment a young fisherman plunged into pounding Southern California surf to wrestle a thrashing shark and free it from his fishing line.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slug. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
