pummeling 1 of 2

noun

variants also pummelling
as in thrashing

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pummeling

2 of 2

verb

variants also pummelling
present participle of pummel
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly pummeled the mugger with her fists until help arrived

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 pummeling
Noun
Photos and video shared on social media show debris thrown in the air and pummeling rain as a possible tornado touched down at Atlantic Beach on Long Island's outer barrier. — CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 Well, that honor goes to the 1885 New York Giants, whose 24-0 pummeling of the Buffalo Bisons has stood the test of time. — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 Trump’s critics, especially in Israel, worry that the agreement effectively allows Iran to repair a proxy force diminished by months of Israeli pummeling. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 Men In Blazers Reigning European champions Spain finally looked like tournament favorites, with teenage star Lamine Yamal leading it to a 4-0 pummeling of Saudi Arabia. — David Hickey, NBC news, 22 June 2026 As violent as these bouts get, fighters agree to honor the rules, even mid-pummeling. — Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026 This spiritual, emotional, and physical reset is a million miles away from the hormone pummeling of current weight-loss drugs, and the aughts’ detox ethos. — Jane Alexander, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 May 2026 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
Verb
Over the Fourth of July weekend, a series of storms skimmed the south of the city, pummeling Coney Island and the Rockaways with sand and sending beach umbrellas spinning like tops. — Matthew Schneier, Curbed, 27 Aug. 2026 Now well west of Hawaii’s main islands, Lala had top sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph) on Thursday and had begun pummeling the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument — a remote area at the northwestern edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 Instead of pummeling out of the sky in a ballistic reentry, the lifting body landed sort of like an airplane. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 Aug. 2026 Her scrolled embroideries have since been described as tirades, rants, and screeds—no horses or cables, just the language pummeling the eye. — Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026 Ukraine is ratcheting up the tempo of drone strikes pummeling Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014. — Brady Africk, Washington Post, 20 July 2026 About 21,000 customers lost electricity when storms swept through the Carolinas Friday afternoon, prompting severe thunderstorm warnings and pummeling the Charlotte area. — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 11 July 2026 Behested payments make an excellent target for pummeling the presidential contender. — Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026 Vargas was among a group of three men being sought for pummeling the cab parked at 36th St and Seventh Ave. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummeling
  1. thrashing
  2. pounding
  3. hammering
  4. licking
  5. bashing
  6. lashing
  7. bludgeoning
  8. battering
Noun
  • In the thrashing that was Brighton vs Aston Villa, John McGinn goes in for what appears to be a rough tackle on Ibrahim Osman in the penalty area in the 80th minute.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Blågult had started so well, mind you, with a 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
Definition of thrashing
Verb
  • When your pounding headache is the result of alcohol (or a stomach virus), a pain reliever alone will not fix the problem.
    — Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Sarajevans still remember his commands to the Serb gunmen pounding the Bosnian capital in early 1992.
    — Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of pounding
Noun
  • This song features a kick drum throughout, and the boosted bass takes it from background timekeeping to foreground hammering.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The Middle East faces chaotic power shifts as Iran, despite taking a hammering, refuses to back down, though its regional influence is expected to wane.
    — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of hammering
Verb
  • 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
  • Owners should also watch for licking that is sudden, persistent or severe enough to cause hair loss or skin damage.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of licking
Noun
  • Again, helicopter parents aren’t new, and there’s a risk that this gets turned into even more Gen Z bashing.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Finally, how did Jason’s bashing of kitchen items compare to Evel Dick’s and Josh’s?
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026
Definition of bashing
Verb
  • Vinicius Jr started each of Brazil’s five matches at the World Cup and played a starring role in the group stage, lashing in an excellent goal against Morocco, scoring and assisting against Haiti, and adding a brace against Scotland.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Lala weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm Sunday after lashing the state without making landfall.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of lashing
Noun
  • Taking over as the Reiner fund trustee from Matthew Fishburn soon after Rob and Michele Reiner’s horrific bludgeoning last December, Kanin served just 15 whirlwind weeks in the role before handing it over to Montgomery.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
  • This one, Eimers went on, was unlikely to do that, because of the bludgeoning of the post and the placement of the bolts.
    — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of bludgeoning
Verb
  • Her boyfriend was never charged, though he was sentenced to probation for battering a police officer about five weeks after Danielle was killed.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 26 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
Definition of battering

Browse Nearby Words

pummeled
pummeling
pummels
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Cite this Entry

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

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