as in hitting
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
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Recent Examples of slugging
And White Sox slugging 3B Munetaka Murakami hit the IL over the weekend with a hamstring strain.
—
Levi Weaver, New York Times, 1 June 2026
The bottom portion of the UCLA lineup picked up the slack, slugging two homers among the six hits and four RBIs from the 6-9 spots.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 31 May 2026
Slimp earned first-team all-Big Ten honors as the leadoff hitter for a Bruins team that features slugging stars Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2026
The Athletics’ slugging first baseman saw his 48-game on-base streak snapped Tuesday, leaving him tied with Mark McGwire in 1996 for the longest single-season run in club history.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
But, more importantly, the Dodgers had nine hits in their eight times to the plate, with rookie Santiago Espinal and recently-off-the-IL Mookie Betts slugging back-to-back home runs to lead off the bottom of the third inning.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
That slugging potential was showcased early in his MLB career.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026
Houston’s offense ranked eighth in the majors in batting average and sixth in slugging against left-handed pitching.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 10 May 2026
But that doesn’t heal the pain the Braves’ (not so much) slugging third baseman has suffered through.
—Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 1 May 2026
Levi Weaver, New York Times, 1 June 2026
The bottom portion of the UCLA lineup picked up the slack, slugging two homers among the six hits and four RBIs from the 6-9 spots.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 31 May 2026
Slimp earned first-team all-Big Ten honors as the leadoff hitter for a Bruins team that features slugging stars Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2026
The Athletics’ slugging first baseman saw his 48-game on-base streak snapped Tuesday, leaving him tied with Mark McGwire in 1996 for the longest single-season run in club history.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
But, more importantly, the Dodgers had nine hits in their eight times to the plate, with rookie Santiago Espinal and recently-off-the-IL Mookie Betts slugging back-to-back home runs to lead off the bottom of the third inning.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
That slugging potential was showcased early in his MLB career.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026
Houston’s offense ranked eighth in the majors in batting average and sixth in slugging against left-handed pitching.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 10 May 2026
But that doesn’t heal the pain the Braves’ (not so much) slugging third baseman has suffered through.
—Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slugging
Verb
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Jocytė finished with three points in 16 minutes, most notably calling for an isolation against Clark and hitting a 3-pointer in her face.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Not even the bonus of a Yeremy Pino free kick hitting both posts yet somehow staying out could help Rayo respond.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
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LaBeouf’s campaign of terror ended when he was arrested for punching several people outside the Royal Street Inn & R Bar.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
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Actor Shia LaBeouf pleaded guilty Wednesday to three counts of simple battery for punching people outside a New Orleans bar in February during Mardi Gras.—
JACK BROOK,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
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Sounds like big savings knocking on your doorstep.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Everton’s hopes of securing a first win at Old Trafford since 2013 seemed over when midfielder Idrissa Gueye was sent off in the 13th minute for slapping team-mate Michael Keane.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
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Video from the incident shows Shields slapping Baumgardner's hand to punctuate a heated exchange.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
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In Game 5 of the 2021 NLCS, Taylor had a game for the ages, smacking three home runs against the Atlanta Braves to help stave off elimination (for at least one more day).—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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Chicago rookie Munetaka Murakami became the first player in major league history to homer in the first game of eight straight series, smacking a solo shot off Emerson Hancock (3-1) in the first.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Over the past two months, Paul has accused Mortensen in court of stalking and, on one occasion, slamming her head into the dashboard of his truck.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
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Jacob got back into the match by slamming Reigns into a post.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
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The new transmission responded more quickly and reduced involuntary head banging in the car’s cabin.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
28 May 2026
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Levu remained hot, banging home an RBI single in the bottom of the third, cutting the deficit by a run.—
Jack Vita,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Verb
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The segments that follow Bonnier de La Chapelle are admittedly more successful and sophisticated, bringing to mind the heart-pounding essence of a Costa-Gavras political thriller.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
25 May 2026
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Moore and Kaveon Jackson took turns pounding the ball on the ground and then Nordman hit Moore with the big touchdown from 15 yards out that set off a wild DeLand celebration on the Bulldogs’ sideline.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slugging. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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