as in body blow
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as in to knock down
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sucker punch
Sean Emery, Oc Register, 21 July 2025
Floating around London’s Chelsea Flower Show as dusk is about to fall, the air is thick, the herbal scents of salvia and geranium offset by the minty nepeta and the flouncing citrus sucker punch of verbana.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 June 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
Verb
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
Floating around London’s Chelsea Flower Show as dusk is about to fall, the air is thick, the herbal scents of salvia and geranium offset by the minty nepeta and the flouncing citrus sucker punch of verbana.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 June 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
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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
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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
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Bringing this winner to dinner will leave everyone knocking down your door for more.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
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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
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Automation can go in either of these directions; that’s why the task of the left is to create social and cultural conditions in which the benign and constructive aspects of technology and automation are primary.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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One seemed to approach him head-on, while the other two hit him from the left and right.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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The men also spoke about going on strike to demand basic rights, including communication with the outside world.—
Rocio Muñoz-Ledo,
CNN Money,
12 Nov. 2025
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Inside the store, shelves to the right of the entrance are stacked with nonperishable foods, hygiene products, pet food and donated blankets and sweaters, Smith said.—
Cathie Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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During Went’s fellowship at Playwrights Realm between 2018-2019, Went expanded that script into what eventually became the five-hour final product — a big swing to take in the theatrical world as attention spans have notoriously decreased among audiences.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
11 Nov. 2025
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After a buzzy stretch for resale while the broader market has been soft, chief executive officer Rati Levesque painted a picture of The RealReal as a company at the vanguard of a massive swing.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sucker punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucker%20punch. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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