as in slapping
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
kept socking the punching bag until he was exhausted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in hammering
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for socking
Verb
-
As EPs, celebrities might do anything from simply slapping their name on a poster to glad-handing for an awards campaign to getting deeply involved in production.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025 -
Violeta Santos Moura | Reuters Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused China of trying to weaken the global economy by slapping export controls on resources vital for technology.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The 4-0 hammering in France has seen Ajax’s chance of elimination before the knockout stage rise to 85 per cent.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
There and at Jebel Misma, the team found stone-hammering tools left behind by the artists in layers of sediment dating back 12,000 years.—
Martin J. Kernan,
Scientific American,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The first of 12 projects outlined in the book is a literal slapstick, the classic vaudeville tool used to imitate the sound of smacking someone with a stick.—
Michael Roberts,
Outside,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Really, there’s only one character onstage who commands an audience’s attention, and that’s Hines’ gum-smacking sister-in-law, who turns from antagonist to supporter.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Pour whipping cream over candies.—
Ann Taylor Pittman,
Southern Living,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Both states punished people who returned after being removed for violating vagrancy laws by public whipping.—
Time,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Kurt's key takeaways Tesla's dream of a fully autonomous future keeps hitting speed bumps.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As the trailer promises, those threats — whether of the high-flying, head-smashing, fiery, toothy or mysterious variety — will leave audiences on the edge of their seats, and holding onto their butts.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Most of the smashing is done by Tamburlaine, a Scythian shepherd by birth, who rises to the peaks of power, lays waste to one kingdom after another, and has the temerity, at the climax of Part 1, not to die.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Oct. 2025
-
After being discovered, the woman shoves Lo's head into the wall, knocking her unconscious, and locks her away in a storage room deep within the yacht.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But the Bears rebounded with encouraging victories — a home thrashing of the Cowboys followed by a character-building come-from-behind magic act in Las Vegas.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
-
The squeals, heavy breathing, and tail thrashing of the headline attraction, the ominous pitter-patter of a chestburster scuttling across the floor, and the characteristic crunch of a chestburster smashing through an unfortunate ribcage are all integral to the extra-terrestrial horror.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
8 Oct. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Socking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/socking. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share