as in cane
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
guards armed with bludgeons roamed the compound
Synonyms & Similar Words
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1
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
remodelers bludgeoned the wall with a sledgehammer to join the two rooms
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
a boxer bludgeoning his opponent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bludgeon
Adam Crepelle, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Nov. 2025
Mamdani’s critics, of course, quickly turned the word into a bludgeon.
—John M. Crisp, Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2025
Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2026
The 60-year-old wife of banker Leroy Rudolph was found in a bathtub filled with water, her body fatally bludgeoned.
—Annie Vainshtein, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bludgeon
Noun
Antiquated federal bureaucracy, bewildering jurisdictional rules and burdensome state taxation bludgeon the spirit of enterprise on tribal lands.
—Adam Crepelle, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Nov. 2025
Mamdani’s critics, of course, quickly turned the word into a bludgeon.
—John M. Crisp, Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2025
Verb
Maryland continues to bludgeon hardworking Marylanders with skyrocketing costs related to living in the state.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2026
The 60-year-old wife of banker Leroy Rudolph was found in a bathtub filled with water, her body fatally bludgeoned.
—Annie Vainshtein, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bludgeon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bludgeon
Noun
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Brown suffered cuts and a black eye in addition to leg injures that resulted in permanent scarring and requires him to walk with a cane, his lawyers say.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Dancer Jessica Rabanzo-Flores, dressed in a brown suit jacket and representing McCullers, approached the stage with a cane before joining company dancers who performed the gravity-defying balancing acts that reflect Malashock’s choreographic style.—
Marcia Luttrell,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Draftniks slap grades on the quality of the picks based on their perceptions of where the player’s talent meets positional need.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Marcus Smart grabbed the ball and fired a two-handed pass to James, who bobbled it and slapped it to Luke Kennard.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Maximilien, a French national, allegedly uploaded a clip of himself licking a straw from an iJooz vending machine before putting it back in the dispenser.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
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There’s Cassie licking a melting ice cream cone as the ice cream drips down her bare chest.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Marsies who resist arrest are doing so without batons, skull-protecting helmets, and guns containing, technically, nonlethal rounds.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
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The complaint stated that officers unleashed a torrent of pepper spray, tear gas grenades, rubber bullets and baton strikes, despite the women posing no threat and complying with officers’ orders.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Carson Richter hit a grand slam for Newbury Park.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
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Austin Hays then hit a grounder to third baseman Manny Machado.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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In a historic display of dominance, the Knicks punched first and just kept pounding in Thursday night’s 140-89 victory in Game 6 at State Farm Arena to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
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As if that wasn't enough, the hospital is also in lockdown due to an active shooter, as Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) explains in the heart-pounding promo.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Noun
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The three main mayoral candidates seem to have finally prioritized the problem, or at least understand its value as a cudgel against each other.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2026
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The ostensible fear is that of identity hardening into a cudgel, foreshortening a character’s emotional palette.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Met Gala lands smack in the middle of that window, on Monday, May 4 — its traditional first-Monday-in-May slot.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
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The boy smacks him in the mouth and then immediately starts crying.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bludgeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bludgeon. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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