sucker punching

Definition of sucker punchingnext
present participle of sucker punch

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucker punching
Verb
  • Senior wing Taylor Bigby has helped pick up some of the scoring load with her breakout run, but to make the Final Four, TCU will need both guards knocking down shots to alleviate the pressure that is sure to come on Miles.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Since then, rising crude prices have been knocking down stocks, with Brent international crude up 50% over the past 19 trading sessions and West Texas Intermediate crude up 40%.
    Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In the clip, shared by @whit_fashionfinds, footage from inside her living room shows her teen on hands and knees pushing clutter across the floor and underneath the couch.
    Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
  • In past years, pushing issues to the next meeting had been a tool the NFL used to win the day because the May meeting allowed league personnel to lobby owners in favor of their measures, knowing coaches and general managers would not attend that next meeting.
    Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Prosecutors argue that Duckett was a monster in disguise who abused the badge and brutally raped and killed Teresa before dumping her body in a lake.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
  • And companies have been dumping money into the market to try to win customers and show them how AI is useful in everyday life - in particular, for buying stuff.
    John Ruwitch, NPR, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Two teenagers are facing charges in connection to a Hackensack, New Jersey, stabbing that sent one of them to the hospital.
    CBS New York Team, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
  • According to Prescott, Walker appeared intent on stabbing the policeman before he was shot.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Jones blames that impasse for kicking the financial stability of TSA officers like a football.
    Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
  • She is later seen kicking a bag in the direction of Hartman, whom the outlet calls her girlfriend, and appearing to either lunge at or hit the woman before the video cuts out.
    Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Attributing the budget-slashing move to an overall decrease in enrollment caused by fluctuating demographics, restrictions on international students and skyrocketing tuition costs, the New School is becoming part of a trend across higher education.
    News Desk, Artforum, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Warsh has committed to slashing the Fed's balance sheet.
    Steve Liesman,Matt Peterson, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • None of it means that much to Aleida, who, like Kelly, is quietly flailing a bit.
    Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
  • In these latest cuts, some of the other firings were in sales, recruiting, and Facebook, signaling that Zuckerberg is separating the chaff in non-AI related units beyond its flailing Metaverse division.
    Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • By generating electricity from fuel during flight and switching to a quieter electric mode when required, the system allows smaller drones to extend their operational range while minimizing noise and thermal signatures.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 29 Mar. 2026
  • That's grounded in a 600-Ah LFP battery supported by 600 watts of solar and a 2,000-W inverter switching DC current into the AC so much more useful for everyday appliances and gizmos.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Mar. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sucker punching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucker%20punching. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster