punching bags

noun

plural of punching bag
as in losers

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for punching bags
  1. losers
  2. flops
  3. washouts
Noun
  • Other than taxpayers, bodega owners stand to be some of the biggest losers if New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) realizes his dream of city-run grocery stores.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Amid the stresses of the Arctic, scientists are rethinking the idea that all life is a cutthroat competition with winners and losers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of losers
Noun
  • But after Annapurna moved from financing its movies to distributing them in 2017, costs rose, flops piled up, and Megan Ellison scaled back her ambitions.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026
  • In taking such a single-minded view of the market, Tottenham are hoping to avoid signing any expensive flops – think Tanguy Ndombele or Roberto Soldado – or talented players who are unsuited to English football, such as Giovani Lo Celso.
    — Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of flops
Noun
  • But in a world where a few basis points separates legends from washouts, a 10-point edge is an enormous windfall for anyone who trusted Kalshi’s numbers over those crunched by CME, the giant futures-exchange operator.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The two subsequent washouts have given Sri Lanka a 1-0 series victory.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 June 2026
Definition of washouts
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.

Browse Nearby Words

punching bag
punching bags
punching out
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Cite this Entry

“Punching bags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punching%20bags. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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