as in body blow
Related Words
Relevance
as in to knock down
Related 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 sucker punch
Sean Emery, Oc Register, 21 July 2025
Floating around London’s Chelsea Flower Show as dusk is about to fall, the air is thick, the herbal scents of salvia and geranium offset by the minty nepeta and the flouncing citrus sucker punch of verbana.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 June 2025
Craig responds with a sucker punch that puts Austin on the ground and brings the night to a screeching halt.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025
Yet Victoria feels sucker punched by Piper’s revelation, as if she’s never met her daughter before.
—Cyndy Etler, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sucker punch
Verb
On June 15, 2019, Ramirez ran up behind a 26-year-old African American grocery store employee and sucker punched him, breaking the employee’s nose and damaging two of his front teeth.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 21 July 2025
Floating around London’s Chelsea Flower Show as dusk is about to fall, the air is thick, the herbal scents of salvia and geranium offset by the minty nepeta and the flouncing citrus sucker punch of verbana.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 June 2025
Craig responds with a sucker punch that puts Austin on the ground and brings the night to a screeching halt.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025
Yet Victoria feels sucker punched by Piper’s revelation, as if she’s never met her daughter before.
—Cyndy Etler, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sucker punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucker punch
Noun
-
The tariff hike provoked an immediate outcry in the U.K., with the country's beleaguered steel industry already suffering a number of body blows, including steelworks closures leading to thousands of job losses, and U.S. tariffs of 25% on steel exports to the States.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Most of the industry seems to view the measure as a body blow that will hurt tech companies’ ability to hire the best talent.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Thousands of satellites with interceptors on them to knock down incoming Russian or Chinese missiles, with nuclear bombs on them.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The contestants then had to compete in a physically taxing challenge that involved pushing a heavy cart along a bumpy path, stacking sand bags, climbing ladders, knocking discs off poles, and then finally knocking down four bamboo targets.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
To the left, a playroom with a Billard Nicolas table evoke a sense of shared play, while vintage exhibition posters infuse the room with colorful energy.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
3 Nov. 2025
-
But Polanco said in modern populist politics, on the left and right, a deep resume doesn't hold as much sway with voters.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The at-bats were brief and uneventful, the opposite of the approach that carried Toronto to this stage and felled Snell in Game 1.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
-
That says a lot about the 2025 Red Sox, who were a top offensive team in many metrics, but were also felled by their bats in crucial spots throughout the year and postseason.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Before your boss could match dance steps to the music, his opponent was already kicking him in the groin and throwing rabbit punches.—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
2 July 2024
Noun
-
Human rights organizations have renewed their criticism, airing concerns about the persecution of dissent in a country where more than 800 people are behind bars for political reasons, according to the legal rights organization Foro Penal.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu also won a Gold Glove -- for the second straight year -- leaving Duran as the odd man out defensively.—
Jon Vankin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Soon, resorts across the region will deck their halls — and cabanas — with holiday menus, twinkling lights and family-friendly festivities that make staying close to home feel like a gift in itself.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Christmas music decks the halls of the Billboard Holiday 100 at the end of every year, but some creepy cuts lurk around the October charts as well.—
Joe Lynch,
Billboard,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Beyond losing Alt and Slater, swing tackle Trey Pipkins III has missed time with a knee injury.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
-
In 2015, South Korea's state-run National Pension Service (NPS), the largest shareholder in Samsung C & T, became the swing vote in approving a controversial merger between Samsung C & T and Cheil Industries amid allegations of political pressure .—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sucker punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucker%20punch. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share