as in punches
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
dealt his opponent a haymaker that sent him reeling across the boxing ring
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Recent Examples of haymakers
After taking a series of haymakers over the weekend, the Twins’ bullpen responded with its own four-inning flurry of blows Tuesday.
—
Dan Hayes, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Soler was throwing haymakers, while López was throwing punches to fend him off.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
From that moment on, the Bulldogs and the Wizards exchanged haymakers until the final minute.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
The latest haymakers thrown come courtesy of executive interviews in The Financial Times.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 23 Jan. 2026
The Broncos must not go down without throwing haymakers.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 18 Jan. 2026
The two heavyweights exchanged haymakers before Olivier caught Reaves with right hand and sent him to the ice.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
An all-time great and a two-time MVP trading haymakers in the form of go-ahead scores in the fourth quarter of a win-and-in environment.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
These teams are trading haymakers.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025
Dan Hayes, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Soler was throwing haymakers, while López was throwing punches to fend him off.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
From that moment on, the Bulldogs and the Wizards exchanged haymakers until the final minute.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
The latest haymakers thrown come courtesy of executive interviews in The Financial Times.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 23 Jan. 2026
The Broncos must not go down without throwing haymakers.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 18 Jan. 2026
The two heavyweights exchanged haymakers before Olivier caught Reaves with right hand and sent him to the ice.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
An all-time great and a two-time MVP trading haymakers in the form of go-ahead scores in the fourth quarter of a win-and-in environment.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
These teams are trading haymakers.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haymakers
Noun
-
Pitch invasions, punches thrown (allegedly) and promotion by a whisker in the 103rd minute.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Dallas and Minnesota throw punches from your weight class.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Russian military appears to be losing some ground in Ukraine, contrary to claims by Moscow’s top brass; Ukrainian strikes are delivering damaging blows to vital Russian oil and gas infrastructure; and drone strikes by Kyiv have disrupted life in the Russian capital before.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
-
And Minnesota didn’t absorb or respond to the blows.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Likewise, the score by Tony Doogan leans too heavily on generic electronic thuds, the kind that segue into a commercial break cliffhanger and an ad for blood pressure medicine.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Another day, as Mom loads the children into the car, Jeremy tosses a basketball against the house, again and again, his passive aggression registering through the ball’s unyielding thuds and his own frozen gaze.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With a lifelong love of the weight room and a good core of swipes, chops and bull rushes, Young offers a physical presence on both the interior and edge.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Our interface makes intelligent use of swipes and gestures rather than tapping or dialing.—
David Szondy
April 25,
New Atlas,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown, neighbors can still hear the thumps.—
Tyler Jett,
Des Moines Register,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Leonard extended his 20-point streak to 49 straight games with 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting, welcoming hand slaps from teammates after hitting his second 3-pointer late in the game.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
-
For the Dominican Republic, Guerrero flashed the same chest slaps and spiked bats that punctuated his postseason homers.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Soriano allowed three runs on six hits with six strikeouts and three walks in five innings.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The Nats then went to the bullpen, ending his night at eight runs (four earned) on five hits over 4 2/3 innings.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Start from the top of the door and pull the squeegee down in long, straight strokes to remove any remaining water and leave your glass door streak-free.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Extreme weather is fueling a rise in heart attacks and strokes, with heat waves and cold snaps contributing to the rise, according to new research reported by SWNS.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Haymakers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haymakers. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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