batter

verb

ˈba-tər How to pronounce batter (audio)
Definition of batternext
1
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly children battered the piñata until it broke open

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to bomb
to use bombs or artillery against planes battered the city for weeks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb batter contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of batter are cripple, maim, mangle, and mutilate. While all these words mean "to injure so severely as to cause lasting damage," batter implies a series of blows that bruise deeply, deform, or mutilate.

an old ship battered by fierce storms

When is cripple a more appropriate choice than batter?

The synonyms cripple and batter are sometimes interchangeable, but cripple implies the loss or serious impairment of an arm or leg.

crippled for life in an accident

When can maim be used instead of batter?

While in some cases nearly identical to batter, maim implies the loss or injury of a bodily member through violence.

maimed by a shark

When is it sensible to use mangle instead of batter?

In some situations, the words mangle and batter are roughly equivalent. However, mangle implies a tearing or crushing that leaves deep wounds.

a soldier's leg mangled by shrapnel

In what contexts can mutilate take the place of batter?

Although the words mutilate and batter have much in common, mutilate implies the cutting off or removal of an essential part of a person or thing thereby impairing its completeness, beauty, or function.

a tree mutilated by inept pruning

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of batter Potential damage from Tropical Storm Moke is set to occur less than a week after Hurricane Lala battered the islands. — Chandelis Duster, NPR, 23 Aug. 2026 Now officials are warning that another storm system could hit areas already battered by the hurricane. — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026 Sometimes they're called certain things or pushed or battered. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 Across the country in Hawaii, Hurricane Lala grazed the state over the weekend, battering the islands with heavy rains and winds, but did not make landfall. — Peter Weber, TheWeek, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for batter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for batter
  1. lick
  2. bomb
  3. pound
  4. shell
  5. lash
  6. bat
  7. whip
  8. hide
Verb
  • That glib self-confidence is present in McNamara, who licks the doughnut glaze off his fingers before offering his hand to the female detective questioning the one living Jason.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • One act featured two young women sitting on the stage and licking orange Popsicles (yes, that was the whole act).
    — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • Paid off the witch, but Practical Magic still bombed on initial release.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The status of its nuclear program, degraded by bombing strikes in 2025, hasn't changed.
    — Susan Page, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of bomb
Verb
  • Sarajevans still remember his commands to the Serb gunmen pounding the Bosnian capital in early 1992.
    — Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Deadly landslides struck Southern and Central California, wiping out hillside homes, and powerful waves pounded the state’s shoreline.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of pound
Verb
  • After the 2017 crackdown, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims crossed from Rakhine into neighboring Bangladesh on foot and by boat during shelling, indiscriminate killings and other violence.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Thin-shelled yet not overly delicate, stuffed with amarena cherry-scented light ricotta bookended by bitter dark chocolate chips.
    — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of shell
Verb
  • In the same series of Sunday morning posts, the president also lashed out at Kristen Welker, the moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press, for saying his endorsements of Republican candidates in primary elections this year had shown mixed results.
    — Jeff Mason, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Workers lashed the broad branches together with steel cables and chains.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of lash
Verb
  • Gulbin then had a bad snap exchange with Daniels, a play that was followed by two passes that were batted down.
    — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Toward that end, Harris is in left field and batting ninth for his Padres debut on Monday.
    — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of bat
Verb
  • Ella Langley continues to whip fans into a frenzy on social media.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Deploying everything from pickled green strawberries and fresh peas to whipped labneh with Banyul vinegar glaze, artful Viennoiserie evokes more than a little whimsy that spans sweet and savory.
    — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of whip
Verb
  • The expansion will take players to the brand new realm of Letten — an idyllic land of rural tradition that hides a dark secret just below the surface.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to hide his own extremism and Texans will see right through it.
    — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of hide

Browse Nearby Words

battens (down)
batter
battered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Batter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/batter. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on batter

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about batter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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