punch out 1 of 2

verb

Definition of punch outnext
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly you should take a course in anger management—you can't go around punching out people

Synonyms & Similar Words

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punch-out

2 of 2

noun

as in fistfight

Related Words

Dissimilar 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 punch out
Verb
On June 23, 1917, believe it or not, Babe Ruth punched out an umpire, Brick Owens, for disqualifying him from the game. — Richard E. Vatz, Baltimore Sun, 15 June 2026 Receiving a ball punched out of Tunisia’s area, the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder took one touch to knock it into space, before coiling his diminutive frame behind a fierce shot that fizzed and curled into the net. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 15 June 2026
Noun
The two of them flirt, but of course the affair is not consummated, and Sergeant Sullivan pits them against each other in a punch-out exercise. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025 But back in the 2010s, Kershaw was a dominant strikeout pitcher who recorded at least 200 punch-outs in a season seven times during the ten-year span from 2010 to 2019. — Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for punch out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch out
  1. lick
  2. fistfight
  3. hide
  4. blows
  5. pound
  6. slugfest
  7. lash
  8. punch-up
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
Noun
  • After the high-speed chase erupts into gunfire and a brutal fistfight, Kim hijacks the vehicle, takes the official hostage and speeds off a bridge into the water below.
    — Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Later, Enola also participates in a horseback chase and violent fistfight with the female villain.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2026
Definition of fistfight
Verb
  • Dress up your table for your next dinner party with these linen placemats, or hide away blankets, books, and other clutter in this coffee table with secret storage.
    — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, the park’s makeup team constructed prosthetic eyelashes that hide a rice-sized LED light that hangs in front of the performer’s eyes.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of hide
Noun
  • The impact of yesterday’s sharp drop in South Korean equities transmitted further into US markets overnight, spreading selling sentiment and dealing heavy blows to US semiconductor and memory stocks.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Guevera also reportedly came to blows with Eddie Kingston in 2022, leading to Kingston’s suspension.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of blows
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
Noun
  • Sweden loses key piece The first half was a sloppy slugfest as both teams tried to use their physicality to assume control.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2026
  • The Republican race for governor between Rick Jackson and Burt Jones has been nothing short of a slugfest.
    — Shannon McCaffrey, AJC.com, 10 June 2026
Definition of slugfest
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
  • One of the most famously arid national landmarks succumbed to deadly flash flooding over the weekend, leaving at least one person dead and more than a dozen unaccounted for as more rain could lash Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on Monday.
    — Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of lash
Noun
  • About deluded coaches and philandering teammates and practice-field punch-ups.
    — Leander Schaerlaeckens June 8, Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
  • Among them are Neeson as a Great Gatsby-esque type who puts Declan in the hospital after a punch-up and Cleese as a priest who also doubles as the Grim Reaper.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 11 May 2026
Definition of punch-up

Browse Nearby Words

punching out
punch out
punch-out
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Cite this Entry

“Punch out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch%20out. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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