sucker punching

verb

present participle of sucker punch
as in knocking down

Related Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucker punching
  1. knocking down
  2. pushing
  3. dumping
  4. stabbing
  5. kicking
  6. slashing
  7. flailing
  8. switching
Verb
  • Winds gusted up to 80 miles per hour, bowing palm trees and knocking down power lines that sparked the fires.
    — Angus Chen, STAT, 22 July 2026
  • The pair of earthquakes struck on June 24, knocking down buildings, sending residents fleeing for safety and trapping some survivors under the rubble for days.
    — Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Definition of knocking down
Verb
  • The sky-high payments could be caused by a lot of different things — buyers wanting big cars, low credit scores pushing monthly payments higher or high credit scores allowing for bigger loans.
    — Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 24 July 2026
  • The bear spent several moments sniffing around the office and wandering through the building before returning to the entrance, pushing the door open again and leaving on its own.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of pushing
Verb
  • Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said that Italy and Greece are each sending two Canadair water-dumping airplanes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
  • Those programs are both notorious for dumping big money into their football teams, so just having an expensive roster doesn't always mean immediate success.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of dumping
Verb
  • Video clips of Guarino performing the Endo One procedure — which involves repeatedly stabbing the skin with a thin, cylindrical rod, releasing a red laser — are posted regularly on his and EvoSkin’s Instagram accounts.
    — Ella Moore July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • Holly returns to save her dad by violently stabbing and killing Crowley, but Voit decides to take the fall for Holly and is put back behind bars.
    — Joyce Eng, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026
Definition of stabbing
Verb
  • In the video, the person is seen getting into a defensive stance and then laughing and kicking at the sea lion, which then turned and scooted away.
    — Ashley Mackin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2026
  • Garcés was sent off shortly after the break for kicking the ball away after a foul.
    — Greg Beacham, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of kicking
Verb
  • Hochul is speeding public sector hiring to provide government services more effectively, while Mamdani is slashing red tape for small businesses to help working people thrive.
    — Ryder Kessler, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026
  • Related Articles Now, Adidas is getting ready to turn its attention to fall, but not before slashing prices on some of its top footwear, clothing and accessories online.
    — Tim Chan, Footwear News, 25 July 2026
Definition of slashing
Verb
  • Recent champions Las Vegas and New York are once again flailing through the regular season, relying on their ability to flip the switch at an opportune moment.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • And regardless, such arrangements are unlikely to save a flailing labor market.
    — Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026
Definition of flailing
Verb
  • The Crown released six references with PNDs throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, switching up bezels from metal to acrylic, swapping between screw-down and pump-style pushers, updating movements, and tweaking that famous face.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 20 July 2026
  • Another might begin dinner with a cocktail before switching to a zero-proof pairing.
    — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of switching
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

sucker punches
sucker punching
suckers
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Cite this Entry

“Sucker punching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucker%20punching. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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