sucker punch 1 of 2

noun

Definition of sucker punchnext
as in body blow

Related Words

Relevance

sucker punch

2 of 2

verb

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
Verb
To control them and tool them apply a growth regulator called sucker punch to the suckers. — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026 At the time, Connor Lockwood’s elbow injury felt like a sucker punch. — Noah Poser, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026 The State of the Union speeches of his recent predecessors have also been filled, as this one was, with sucker punches thrown at the opposition party. — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026 Tucker had a different take, saying that Fletcher was trying to sucker punch him. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sucker punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucker punch
  1. body blow
  2. knock down
  3. left
  4. fell
  5. rabbit punch
  6. deck
  7. right
  8. cream
Noun
  • The deaths from the World Trade Center marked a huge body blow to Rockville Centre, which suffered more losses than many other communities in the tri-state area.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Shelton on the front foot, chasing Alcaraz around the court with body blow serves and driving strokes into the corners, getting the early break again.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of body blow
Verb
  • Special Agent 0 dove over the ropes to knock down all three of his opponents.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • This time, when they were knocked down, the Brewers didn’t stay down.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of knock down
Noun
  • On the left, billionaires are regularly invoked as oligarchic overlords whose wealth and influence have helped erode the foundations of democracy.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Sofia Wylie’s Grace stands in the middle of the trio, the girl to her right cheering normally and the girl to her left, Lisbeth (Geena Meszaros) roaring animalistically.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of left
Verb
  • Griess, the superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, said the 430 trees that were felled were not identified as hazardous or raising safety concerns.
    — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Yet trees that took a millennium to grow can be felled in under an hour.
    — Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of fell
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
Definition of rabbit punch
Verb
  • Riley grinned with his team protecting an eight-point lead in front of a rowdy, record crowd of 114,419 decked in all white at Beaver Stadium on Saturday night.
    — Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Shiny bustier dresses mingled with slipdresses decked in sequins mimicking python skin and tank frocks that had the ease of a beach robe, while high-slit skirts cut on the bias were paired with mannish white shirts.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of deck
Noun
  • Many of his domestic critics have faulted him for prolonging the war in Gaza to appease his far-right allies, and for permitting ultra-Orthodox Jews to forgo military service to appease that sizable religious voter bloc.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Ellison fils’s most high-profile hiring decision was to enlist Bari Weiss—the former Times Opinion editor and founder of the center-right publication The Free Press—as editor-in-chief of CBS News.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of right
Verb
  • Pair it with taupe, mushroom, or cream for contrast that never feels harsh.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The two dishes that have remained on its menu are its the lumache alla norcina (Barham’s sausage with mushrooms, white wine and cream $23) and the spicy vodka radiatori (creamy stracciatella and Parmesan for $21).
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of cream

Browse Nearby Words

suckering
sucker punch
sucker punched
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sucker punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucker%20punch. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fervid

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All