Synonyms of batter

batter

verb

ˈba-tər 

1

as in to lick

to strike repeatedly

children battered the piñata until it broke open

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lick
• pound
• lash
• bat
• whip
• hide
• beat
• hit
• pelt
• punch
• assault
• knock
• attack
• do
• slap
• spank
• thump
• curry
• smash
• box
• paddle
• slam
• maul
• chop
• slate
• punch out
• pummel
• belt
• club
• lather
• hammer
• tan
• storm
• lace
• buffet
• raid
• smack
• work over
• wallop
• birch
• thrash
• rough (up)
• bludgeon
• switch
• whale
• baste
• bash
• whop
• whack
• pommel
• drub
• thresh
• swipe
• bung up
• beat up on
• whup
• slog
• wound
• lambast
• fib
• whap
• crack
• belabor
• flog
• lambaste
• mess (up)
• cane
• paste
• sock
• descend (on or upon)
• leather
• strap
• cudgel
• jump (on)
• swat
• tromp
• rush
• lay on
• cuff
• thwack
• clout
• pounce (on or upon)
• beset
• clobber
• assail
• wham
• cowhide
• whomp
• lam
• bust
• blackjack
• horsewhip
• scourge
• flagellate
• rawhide
• gore
• lacerate
• mutilate
• pistol-whip
• maim
• fustigate
• mangle

2

as in to bomb

to use bombs or artillery against

planes battered the city for weeks

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bomb
• shell
• attack
• blitz
• bombard
• cannonade
• blitzkrieg
• pound
• assault
• rake
• hit
• ravage
• strafe
• enfilade
• strike
• assail
• devastate

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

Recent Examples of batter

Ten deaths have been recorded in Tennessee alone as a series of thunderstorms and tornadoes have battered the state over the past few days. —Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 6 Apr. 2025

The e-commerce and cloud computing giant’s market cap closed below $2 trillion as the new round of tariffs battered tech stocks. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025

Cosmic rays batter our planet all the time, but their impacts are quite hard to detect. —Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 31 Mar. 2025

Corn Dogs Fluffy-battered and fried to a golden crisp, corn dogs are nearly as iconic as their more straightforward glizzy brethren. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2025