variants
also pummelling
as in thrashing
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variants
also pummelling
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly
pummeled the mugger with her fists until help arrived
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of pummeling
Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026
Of course, Flextail didn't curl up, back into a corner and submit to a pummeling, counterpunching with its own tiny 1-oz inflator just a couple months later.
—New Atlas, 20 Apr. 2026
On April 8, 2025, Wrobleski endured an eight-run pummeling by the Washington Nationals and was immediately sent down to triple-A Oklahoma City.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
In early February, at an Airbnb Peters was renting near Orlando, Peters’ girlfriend, Violet Lentz, got into a shouting, shoving and pummeling match with another woman, while Peters posted the conflict to social media, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Stout, bluesy guitar and a pummeling rhythm lead to McBryde turning in a ferocious, fearless vocal, singing about a litany of vices and urges that stay steeped her bloodline.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2026
Through punches and pummeling, cheating and cursing, their bond remained (mostly) intact.
—Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
The signature chi massage is based around meridian lines—a questionnaire determines which is most suitable for you—and the company’s bespoke oils are used in the massage, which is good, although maybe not one for those requiring serious pummelling.
—Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
His bandmates, naturally, summon apocalyptic cacophonies of gut-rattling guitar-riff fuselage and pummeling drumming.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
This year’s record-warm, dry spring is pummeling Colorado farmers amid multiple threats, disrupting the state’s $9 billion agricultural sector and jeopardizing even signature crops such as Pueblo green chiles, Olathe sweet corn and Palisade peaches.
—Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
On top of everything else pummeling consumers right now — spiking gas prices, soaring grocery bills, an uncertain job market — there’s a wild card lurking in a shadowy corner of corporate finance that could pile on even more pain.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
The report notes that a big increase in supply is pummeling the south and west.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
That’s precisely what the Hornets did in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, pummeling the Nets 117-86 at Barclays Center to halt a two-game losing streak at the hands of Philadelphia and Boston over the weekend.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
Miami got off to a 1-6 start because every NFL team was pummeling the Dolphins on the ground.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Through a mix of orders, shaming, and a whole lot of banging of the gavel, the octogenarian managed to avoid a nightmare scenario of one of his colleagues pummeling a witness.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Caught on camera, the violent altercation involved multiple suspects pummeling a man while allegedly hurling religious slurs.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
The increasingly gruesome pummelling continues, cross-cutting with Cassie’s discussion with Naz (Jack Topalian), calmly eating pie on the couch, about what this means to her, and how her wedding was supposed to be the best day of her life.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026
Of course, Flextail didn't curl up, back into a corner and submit to a pummeling, counterpunching with its own tiny 1-oz inflator just a couple months later.
—New Atlas, 20 Apr. 2026
On April 8, 2025, Wrobleski endured an eight-run pummeling by the Washington Nationals and was immediately sent down to triple-A Oklahoma City.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
In early February, at an Airbnb Peters was renting near Orlando, Peters’ girlfriend, Violet Lentz, got into a shouting, shoving and pummeling match with another woman, while Peters posted the conflict to social media, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Stout, bluesy guitar and a pummeling rhythm lead to McBryde turning in a ferocious, fearless vocal, singing about a litany of vices and urges that stay steeped her bloodline.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2026
Through punches and pummeling, cheating and cursing, their bond remained (mostly) intact.
—Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
The signature chi massage is based around meridian lines—a questionnaire determines which is most suitable for you—and the company’s bespoke oils are used in the massage, which is good, although maybe not one for those requiring serious pummelling.
—Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
His bandmates, naturally, summon apocalyptic cacophonies of gut-rattling guitar-riff fuselage and pummeling drumming.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
At one point, the crew shot a scene in which Whalen’s character joins a bar fight, shouting invectives at a hapless extra before pummelling him to the ground.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
This year’s record-warm, dry spring is pummeling Colorado farmers amid multiple threats, disrupting the state’s $9 billion agricultural sector and jeopardizing even signature crops such as Pueblo green chiles, Olathe sweet corn and Palisade peaches.
—Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
On top of everything else pummeling consumers right now — spiking gas prices, soaring grocery bills, an uncertain job market — there’s a wild card lurking in a shadowy corner of corporate finance that could pile on even more pain.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
The report notes that a big increase in supply is pummeling the south and west.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
That’s precisely what the Hornets did in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, pummeling the Nets 117-86 at Barclays Center to halt a two-game losing streak at the hands of Philadelphia and Boston over the weekend.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
Miami got off to a 1-6 start because every NFL team was pummeling the Dolphins on the ground.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Through a mix of orders, shaming, and a whole lot of banging of the gavel, the octogenarian managed to avoid a nightmare scenario of one of his colleagues pummeling a witness.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Caught on camera, the violent altercation involved multiple suspects pummeling a man while allegedly hurling religious slurs.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummeling
Noun
-
Arsenal enters the match as the favorite, but Sporting has been resilient in the Champions League, rebounding from a 3-0 loss to tournament darlings Bodo/Glimt with a 5-0 thrashing in Lisbon.—
Pueng Vongs,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
His only Champions League goal arrived in January’s 6-0 thrashing of Qarabag, and his only assists in the competition came in similarly comfortable wins over Eintracht Frankfurt and Galatasaray.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
From tracking down a missing student in the wilderness of British Columbia to extracting a murder confession from a surfer in Tofino, Shade and Angie prove life on the West Coast is packed with heart-pounding thrills.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
-
But Ragans shook off the damage and kept pounding the strike zone.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The tap-tap-tap hammering up and down my spine and around my shoulder blades actually soothed me nearly to sleep.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
In non-CinemaCon news, the looksmaxx influencer managed to unite the internets in mocking his dew-eyed meltdown and interview walk-off over being asked modestly difficult questions about his reputation (instead of being asked, say, which moisturizer is best for post-jaw hammering).—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
The target of our petty president’s latest bashing is Pope Leo XIV, the first American leader of the Catholic Church, who seems to be a guy with Midwestern common sense.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Which seems like the anxiety Chalamet was trying to express with his needless opera bashing.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Not long after, the White House began lashing out at Democrats and the media over the shooting.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
On his last day before he’s scheduled to ride off on his motorcycle for a three-month sabbatical that’s only barely disguising his suicidal ideation, Robby spends his final shift lashing out at his co-workers.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Norma Jane Lumpkin, whose long hair hung past her waist, was four decades into a life sentence for her role in the 1981 bludgeoning death of her husband.—
Pamela Colloff,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
-
This game was expected to be a taut preview of the gold-medal game but has turned into a bludgeoning.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After all, the two Republicans have spent more than $80 million battering each other on the airwaves.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The suspect above is wanted for spitting on Red Line passengers, battering one.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pummeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pummeling. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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