as in hitting
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
she got so angry that she slugged the back of the chair and knocked it over
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of slugging
Bregman wasn’t fazed by it, slugging a game-tying home run in the eighth inning Friday for his first marquee moment in a Cubs uniform.
—
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Bryce Harper has been slugging with Victus bats for a while now — last season, Harper rocked a custom baby blue bat for a gender reveal when his wife Kayla was expecting their fourth child, Hayes Three Harper.
—Nikki Dementri, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Rodriguez doesn’t have a home run yet this season after slugging seven of them a year ago.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 14 Mar. 2026
The Miami Hurricanes’ slugging outfielder didn’t waste the opportunity, depositing the pitch into right field for a go-ahead two-run double in the Hurricanes’ eventual 5-2 win over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats on Wednesday at Mark Light Field.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
His drinking appears to have led to Laura secretly slugging down alcohol as a child.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
He’s displayed + power, slugging 44 HR in just 118 games while walking more than striking out.
—Teddy Cahill, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The offense — albeit playing half its games in a Triple-A park — ranked fifth in the majors in slugging, eighth in OPS and 12th in runs scored.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 10 Feb. 2026
But are the Red Sox a more complete team with a lineup that no longer features the slugging Rafael Devers, Bregman the ‘baseball rat,’ as Cora affectionately calls him, and southpaw slayer Rob Refsnyder?
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 9 Feb. 2026
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Bryce Harper has been slugging with Victus bats for a while now — last season, Harper rocked a custom baby blue bat for a gender reveal when his wife Kayla was expecting their fourth child, Hayes Three Harper.
—Nikki Dementri, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Rodriguez doesn’t have a home run yet this season after slugging seven of them a year ago.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 14 Mar. 2026
The Miami Hurricanes’ slugging outfielder didn’t waste the opportunity, depositing the pitch into right field for a go-ahead two-run double in the Hurricanes’ eventual 5-2 win over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats on Wednesday at Mark Light Field.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
His drinking appears to have led to Laura secretly slugging down alcohol as a child.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
He’s displayed + power, slugging 44 HR in just 118 games while walking more than striking out.
—Teddy Cahill, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The offense — albeit playing half its games in a Triple-A park — ranked fifth in the majors in slugging, eighth in OPS and 12th in runs scored.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 10 Feb. 2026
But are the Red Sox a more complete team with a lineup that no longer features the slugging Rafael Devers, Bregman the ‘baseball rat,’ as Cora affectionately calls him, and southpaw slayer Rob Refsnyder?
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slugging
Verb
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That passion to play every moment to the hilt, along with her powerful hitting stroke, that came with being a coach’s daughter.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
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Horner told a false story about hitting the little girl with his van and then strangling her in a panic, according to testimony of the case’s lead investigator, Texas Ranger Job Espinoza.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The behavior of a suspect in the murders of two University of South Florida students from Bangladesh worsened over time from marijuana use, family members told deputies after his arrest three years ago for punching his brother in the face and kicking his mother in the back.—
Mike Schneider,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
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Ryan said Horner later confessed to punching and kicking the child in the head.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Iranians have been knocking around in the United States’ critical infrastructure for years.—
Sue Halpern,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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Serve it at room temperature so the salad on top won't wilt (and the cooking is complete before the guests come knocking).—
Ashlyn Ware,
Midwest Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The movie's December 2022 release was largely overshadowed by the aftermath of Smith slapping Chris Rock on stage at that year's Academy Awards.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
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This is simply slapping lipstick on a pig and, once again, taking no accountability.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The flashes were caused by rocky objects smacking into the lunar surface, and the astronauts’ observations of them caused scientists in Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center to erupt in cheers.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
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De Kock smashed eight boundaries and seven sixes and Dhir complemented his South African teammate by smacking three fours and three sixes in the century partnership.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar quickly responded on X, slamming his Ukrainian counterpart for conducting diplomacy on social media.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
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Trump’s remarks came hours after the first lady released a statement slamming Kimmel for the comment.—
Sydney Topf,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Jurors then heard sounds of banging and choking — and Athena screaming and crying, the Star-Telegram reports.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
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On the night he was arrested, Martinez confessed to shaking Heather and banging her head against a crib, but later recanted that confession.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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But Ragans shook off the damage and kept pounding the strike zone.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slugging. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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