as in body blow
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as in to knock down
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sucker punch
Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Sep. 2025
As members of two California gangs poured out of a Las Vegas boxing match in September 1996, Tupac Shakur, the most famous rapper in the country at the time, sucker punched a rival.
—Gina Barton, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
The Milwaukee County Transit System's $10.9 million deficit landed a sucker punch to county officials in June and resulted in service cuts — but records show the warning signs were there months earlier.
—Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 12 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sucker punch
Verb
All that changed a few months before the shooting when Jones sucker punched Branton at a bar during an argument over a girlfriend.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Sep. 2025
As members of two California gangs poured out of a Las Vegas boxing match in September 1996, Tupac Shakur, the most famous rapper in the country at the time, sucker punched a rival.
—Gina Barton, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
The Milwaukee County Transit System's $10.9 million deficit landed a sucker punch to county officials in June and resulted in service cuts — but records show the warning signs were there months earlier.
—Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 12 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sucker punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucker punch
Noun
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Jaxson Hayes delivered the final body blow, throwing down an Eastbay dunk in transition after stealing the ball from Josh Giddey to put the Lakers up by 14 with just under three minutes remaining.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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Repeated body blows from hurricanes, pollution, disease, climate change — and a near-knockout punch from a 2023 marine heat wave — has effectively wiped several species off the map and shrunk the reefs that stretch from the Keys throughout South Florida.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The 183 shots he’s knocked down beyond the arc are second in the NBA only to Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, who’s merely two makes ahead of Knueppel.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
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While Thursday’s game was tight in the first half, TCU maintained a 61-48 lead entering the fourth quarter after Miles knocked down seven 3-pointers in the third.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The two-lane outdoor path is shared by pedestrians (on the right) and bicyclists (on the left).—
Katie James Watkinson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Savannah, with her sister to her right and her brother to her left, read from a sheet of paper.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cortina Mayor Gianluca Lorenzi received death threats after centuries-old trees were felled to make way for a $131 million bobsledding track.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
9 Feb. 2026
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Afterward, Agnes and I were felled by the kind of hunger that overtakes only those who have exerted themselves in cold weather.—
Boris Fishman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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Raman previously worked at a women’s rights organization formed in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement before becoming a council member.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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Nevertheless, Pérez said, ICE has called on local law enforcement agencies to keep members of the public who have a right to monitor or document ICE activities from doing so.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The swish of chainmail coming down the runway was audible, as models slinked down the catwalk decked in statement pelts and belts.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The rooms Supremely comfy, with no gimmicky surprises — just proper, old-school amenities, the plumpest beds and (16 types of) pillows, and gleaming bathrooms decked in mottled marble.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Last year’s blitz of bills, capping off years of gradual legislative efforts to remove regulatory barriers to building dense housing across California, has, in Wicks’ view, teed up this next big swing.—
Ben Christopher,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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Risk of turning off swing voters?—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sucker punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucker%20punch. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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