Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucker punching
Verb
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But when it was first announced, the project was not well-received by some residents, who argued that knocking down five existing apartment complexes to make room for the project could accelerate gentrification.—
Alex Driggars,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026 -
Well, the two-time Eastern Conference rookie of the month is one of only two players in the NBA this season who’s averaging 15 points and five rebounds per game while knocking down at least 42% from 3-point range.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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During ultra-fast impacts, the metal’s atoms oscillate so vigorously that these physically obstruct the path of deformation, pushing back against the incoming force.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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Just as the Dow Jones Industrial Average neared the 50,000 milestone in early January, a producer called to interview me about what was pushing stocks higher.—
Jill Schlesinger,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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My only other knock is the twist-off cap, which can result in dumping out too much product.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Feb. 2026
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The lawsuit alleges the administration violated environmental laws by dumping White House demolition debris on the course, raising serious pollution concerns.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mohammed Ahmad Hussein al-Halsi was sentenced in 2016 to 18 years behind bars for stabbing elderly women.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Another Jefferson County circuit judge, Jessica Green, last year drew local and national criticism after granting shock probation to a 32-year-old man accused of abducting a mother and two children and stabbing the mother during a bank robbery.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There was always more going on underneath the hood, kicking the way a baby duck’s legs kick through a summer pond.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
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The technical was charged to the Wolfpack’s Darrion Williams for kicking Donaldson in a loose-ball scrum.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Throughout the winter and early spring, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was slashing the federal workforce, in part, by offering buyouts to career officials.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
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New York — Advances in AI are unlikely to push down interest rates in the short term, a key Federal Reserve official said Tuesday — a stark contrast to Fed Chair nominee Kevin Warsh’s plan for slashing borrowing costs.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The hanging quickly devolves into an all-out bacchanal, as onlookers drink, dance and kiss in the square surrounding the flailing corpse.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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Their premise is that international-relations scholars are flailing in part because they’re trained to think of their field, as its name implies, as affairs between and among states.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Here, interior designers share how to use lighting to beat mid-winter blues, which can be as simple as switching out a light bulb.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
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Consumers are switching to cheaper home brews, alternative drinks or giving up coffee entirely, though some miss the social ritual.—
Matt Sedensky,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Sucker punching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucker%20punching. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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