body blow

noun

1
: a blow to the body
2
: a damaging or deeply felt blow
an economic body blow

Examples of body blow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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After each body blow delivered, Williams bellowed from the depths of his confidence. Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 17 June 2025 The loss of West Publishing (now a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters) was a body blow to the vitality of an already struggling downtown amid the economic headwinds of the early ’90s. Nick Woltman, Twin Cities, 8 June 2025 But instead of having a day to remember, Purdy took another body blow in the longest season of his life. Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2024 The 45% hike in the city’s current citywide minimum wage of $17.25 an hour would be a body blow to many employers — and the ongoing trash fee debacle shows no one should trust City Hall to be competent in crafting and executing any major policy. U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for body blow

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of body blow was in 1788

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Cite this Entry

“Body blow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body%20blow. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.

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