sucker punch 1 of 2

Definition of sucker punchnext

sucker punch

2 of 2

verb

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
Verb
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 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
  • Bringing this winner to dinner will leave everyone knocking down your door for more.
    Patricia S York, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Other perennial favorites like the New Balance 550 Basketball Sneakers are sure to sell out quickly, with prices knocked down to just $47 from the original $110.
    Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • After hitting the three free throws, TCU threw an inbounds pass out of bounds with one second left.
    Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2026
  • The layout features a full page for notes on the left and, to the right, two days per page with horizontal space for tasks.
    Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 6 Jan. 2026
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
  • The Honda moves forward, turning to the right.
    Devon Lum, Twin Cities, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Costco would add one right-in/right-out turn on Idaho 55, another on Hill Road, and a new roundabout on Hill Road, the traffic analysis said.
    Rose Evans January 8, Idaho Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Trex — The decking and railing products manufacturer tumbled 29% after slashing its full-year sales outlook due to weak demand.
    Fred Imbert, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • Mahomes threw a red zone interception that went 99 yards the other way for the biggest swing of a Week 5 road defeat to the Jaguars that the Chiefs dominated statistically.
    Jesse Newell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Advertisement Marcos Falcone, a policy analyst focusing on Latin America at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, says that the swing in the market response is because, essentially, not much has changed.
    Rebecca Schneid, Time, 7 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sucker punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucker%20punch. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.

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