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
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
The umpire tried to break up the scuffle, only to be sucker punched from behind by Aballi, police alleged.
—Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Tucker had a different take, saying that Fletcher was trying to sucker punch him.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
The Cowboys were down three members of an already-inept secondary in Denver, and Payton responded with an onslaught of sucker punches that never let up.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sucker punch
Verb
The State of the Union speeches of his recent predecessors have also been filled, as this one was, with sucker punches thrown at the opposition party.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
The umpire tried to break up the scuffle, only to be sucker punched from behind by Aballi, police alleged.
—Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Tucker had a different take, saying that Fletcher was trying to sucker punch him.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
The Cowboys were down three members of an already-inept secondary in Denver, and Payton responded with an onslaught of sucker punches that never let up.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sucker punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucker punch
Noun
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The defeat was a significant body blow to Arsenal’s aspirations, but City’s 1-0 victory over Burnley can strangely be viewed in a positive light for them.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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The image of Pages making the catch, as Kiké Hernandez absorbs a body blow, is already seared into Dodgers lore.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That could allow time to consider alternatives for rehab before a building is knocked down for good.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
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And if Evan Mobley, who has struggled to shoot all year long, hadn’t knocked down all three of his 3s in the second half, perhaps that ferocity would have been enough.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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First, locate the radiant to the left of the waning moon using a handy smartphone stargazing app.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
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Mason Lohrei, a left-shot who was moved to the right side, was reportedly dangled in the Andersson talks with Calgary.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
2 May 2026
Verb
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But before he was felled at age 68 by a heart attack, Joiner had shared what was in the briefcase with the lead Louisiana State Police investigator on the case, Stefan Montgomery, Joiner's son and the LSP confirmed.—
Stephanie Gosk,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
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John Adams famously wrote to his wife, Abigail, that smallpox was killing 10 soldiers for every one felled in battle.—
Katrine L. Wallace,
The Conversation,
28 Apr. 2026
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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That element may now get its wish as soon as our upcoming June primary, effectively prioritizing the narrow ideology of a few hundred party loyalists over the fundamental voting rights of hundreds of thousands of independent citizens.—
Kent Thiry,
Denver Post,
27 Apr. 2026
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The right to mock, to challenge, and yes, to offend those in power, is foundational to democracy.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Shane Gillis and Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty are decked out in their Flyers gear ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Philadelphia on April 22.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
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Mamdani’s push to develop Sunnyside Yard is the boldest plan for Queens in a generation — a chance to deck over 180 acres of rail tracks and build housing, parks, and economic opportunity at scale.—
Peter Peyser,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The seat, which Min has held since last year, was previously a swing district in coastal Orange County but became far less competitive for Republicans after redistricting.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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Concert season is in swing at Rocklin’s alluringly intimate Quarry Park Amphitheater, which has been building increasingly robust summer lineups over the last several years.—
Aaron Davis,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sucker punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucker%20punch. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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