as in punches
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 snails
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 hits
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
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Recent Examples of slugs
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2026
Toads help control snails, slugs, caterpillars, and other invertebrates—pests that have the potential to harm your garden plants, says Amarello.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 6 May 2026
Similarly, slugs and snails are less likely to travel across jagged surfaces, which can make pine cones a helpful barrier around vulnerable plants like lettuce or hostas.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
Radishes Rapid growth makes radishes ideal as companion plants and trap crops, effective for drawing flea beetles, aphids, slugs, snails, harlequin bugs, and cabbage root maggots away from tomatoes, eggplant, brassicas, cucumbers, and squash.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 3 May 2026
Watch your step for banana slugs.
—Daniel Bromfield, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2025
Gastropods are a class of mollusks that include snails, slugs and whelks.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2025
Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Padilla and Hernandez toss out different accents – German (in which Storrie slugs a beer), Cajun, French, Shrek, Na’vi — even Shakespeare.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
Machado slugs 169 points higher in wins.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
Hubbard squash, dill, and nasturtiums deter squash bugs, borers, and slugs while attracting pollinators.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2026
Toads help control snails, slugs, caterpillars, and other invertebrates—pests that have the potential to harm your garden plants, says Amarello.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 6 May 2026
Similarly, slugs and snails are less likely to travel across jagged surfaces, which can make pine cones a helpful barrier around vulnerable plants like lettuce or hostas.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
Radishes Rapid growth makes radishes ideal as companion plants and trap crops, effective for drawing flea beetles, aphids, slugs, snails, harlequin bugs, and cabbage root maggots away from tomatoes, eggplant, brassicas, cucumbers, and squash.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 3 May 2026
Watch your step for banana slugs.
—Daniel Bromfield, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2025
Gastropods are a class of mollusks that include snails, slugs and whelks.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
The Texas first baseman slugs her team-high 12th homer of the year over the left-field fence as the Longhorns regain the lead.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Padilla and Hernandez toss out different accents – German (in which Storrie slugs a beer), Cajun, French, Shrek, Na’vi — even Shakespeare.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
Machado slugs 169 points higher in wins.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slugs
Noun
-
Facing the endless Cylon onslaught in the void of space is terrifying even in 2D battles, but many of Scattered Hopes' gut punches happen during unexpected narrative events or tough choices that doom entire ship populations.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
-
Those two know how to roll with the punches, and their new series knows what its viewers want.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
About 20 races took place at Folsom City Lions Park, with up to nine snails per heat climbing one-foot poles; Mayor Justin Raithel motivated his snail with lettuce and made the semifinals before finishing fourth.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
11 May 2026
-
Pots simmered on the stove with paella, fruit rotted in bowls next to the junk mail, and the pantry was full of old rusted cans of strange unearthly edibles—bamboo shoots and snails in sauce and lemons floating in brine.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Left Arrow Right Arrow Want two large pizzas and drinks at your door in just over four minutes?—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
Conversations, phone calls, or late-night drinks next door can be surprisingly noticeable, especially with the door open.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
When a heat wave hits, millions of air conditioners switch on at once, straining the electric grid and driving up the risk of outages — and residents’ power bills.—
Kiki Sideris,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Zesica Flutter-sleeve Smocked Midi Dress Flattering and versatile, this dress hits the sweet spot between refined and playful.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Gadd gained almost 90 pounds to play adult Ruben (Stuart Campbell in flashbacks), the fractured older-brother figure of Niall (Jamie Bell as an adult; Mitchell Robertson as an adolescent), while their mothers date each other.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
-
Onions are truly the star of this cheesy recipe that calls for 2 1/2 pounds of a sweet variety.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
So, instead of having a destroyer or frigate-class asset on station, China could send dozens or hundreds of cheap, autonomous drones instead.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
-
Russia launched 294 drones overnight, Ukraine’s Air Force said, adding that 269 of them were shot down.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Around 3pm, the judges took their first sips.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
15 May 2026
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In between sips of craft beer, patrons walk around a silent auction put on by Juntos Podemos, a volunteer mutual aid group that helps immigrants with groceries and rent.—
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán,
NPR,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
He wasn’t invited to the combine this winter and drew knocks from some evaluators for his lack of length and his inconsistency as a pass rusher.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Temperatures will be near 81 degrees on Monday, and then turn cooler on Tuesday through Thursday after a cold front knocks them back into the mid- to upper 60s.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slugs. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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