as in thrashing
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1
as in smacking
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
he clobbered the ball, sending it in a high arc toward the back wall
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in whipping
to defeat by a large margin
they clobbered the opposing team
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Recent Examples of clobbering
Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2026
No doubt there were many reasons the Chiefs woke up the echoes and restored a certain sense of order on Sunday with a 37-20 clobbering of visiting Baltimore, a presumptive rival for the AFC berth in the Super Bowl.
—Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
Every aspect of that towel was on display in a Big Ten showdown-turned-clobbering.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2025
Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 23 Mar. 2026
The answer is clobbering the Broncos over the head, like, say, the Jacksonville Jaguars did last winter.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
Police arrested one of four snowball bandits caught on camera clobbering the cops with snow.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026
Under manager Arrigo Sacchi, a former shoe salesman, AC Milan in 1987-88 won its first Serie A title in nine years and the following year won the European Cup, clobbering Steaua Bucharest 4-0 in the final.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
That sunset that finally shone over Chicago when the winter storm had finally subsided after clobbering the area this weekend is hardly a distant memory, but already, the area is preparing for another round of snow in the afternoon.
—Darius Johnson, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025
The reason for that suggestion is because of the long history of good individual stocks clobbering the S & P 500 .
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2025
K’Lavon Chaisson provided the biggest splash plays by clobbering Rodgers twice and tallying his own run stuff.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Global stocks are clobbering their American cousins this year.
—Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
Three days after pummeling UCLA, 48-29, on the glass (including 20-5 on offensive boards), the Terps were on the receiving end of a clobbering as USC dominated, 35-24.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2026
No doubt there were many reasons the Chiefs woke up the echoes and restored a certain sense of order on Sunday with a 37-20 clobbering of visiting Baltimore, a presumptive rival for the AFC berth in the Super Bowl.
—Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
Every aspect of that towel was on display in a Big Ten showdown-turned-clobbering.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2025
Verb
The storied eatery amassed a whopping 1,512 votes in round two, clobbering Northside Social.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 23 Mar. 2026
The answer is clobbering the Broncos over the head, like, say, the Jacksonville Jaguars did last winter.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
Police arrested one of four snowball bandits caught on camera clobbering the cops with snow.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026
Under manager Arrigo Sacchi, a former shoe salesman, AC Milan in 1987-88 won its first Serie A title in nine years and the following year won the European Cup, clobbering Steaua Bucharest 4-0 in the final.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
That sunset that finally shone over Chicago when the winter storm had finally subsided after clobbering the area this weekend is hardly a distant memory, but already, the area is preparing for another round of snow in the afternoon.
—Darius Johnson, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025
The reason for that suggestion is because of the long history of good individual stocks clobbering the S & P 500 .
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2025
K’Lavon Chaisson provided the biggest splash plays by clobbering Rodgers twice and tallying his own run stuff.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Global stocks are clobbering their American cousins this year.
—Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clobbering
Noun
-
But because this is a derby, we’re supposed to believe this latest thrashing is a statement.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Carrington, who converted a program-record nine 3-pointers in a 90-73 thrashing at Washington on Saturday, was 4 of 8 behind the arc, and sophomore power forward Austin Rapp as 3 of 6.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In Los Angeles, Jonathon Redondo-Rosales was charged with assault for smacking an agent with a hat after a car struck him.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
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But a leadoff walk in the top of the 9th allowed Eugenio Suárez to knock in what would prove to be the winning run, smacking a double to left center field and scoring pinch runner Javier Sonoja.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Like Apollo 13, Artemis II will take advantage of the moon’s and Earth’s gravity, making a figure 8 after whipping around the moon to head home in what’s known as a free-return trajectory requiring little if any fuel.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Like Apollo 13, Artemis II will take advantage of the moon and Earth’s gravity, making a figure eight after whipping around the moon to head home in what’s known as a free-return trajectory requiring little if any fuel.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Ronnie Moyers heard the bird hammering in the woods one morning in late February, several weeks before the species usually shows up in Virginia’s western highlands.—
Sarah Kaplan,
Washington Post,
23 Mar. 2026
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But the midfielder may get the chance to assist his team’s daunting assignment in overhauling their first-leg 6-1 hammering by Bayern in Munich.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rest of starters Tristan da Silva opened by hitting his first 3-pointer and made all four of his first-half free throws to reach 11 points by the break.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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The surge is also hitting refinance demand, not just purchases, as higher rates have reversed activity that had briefly improved earlier in the month.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Applicants must write an essay that reflects a background of overcoming adversity, such as growing up in a low-income setting or losing a parent.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
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Waring and Woodland are both in the midst of overcoming big obstacles of a different nature.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Which seems like the anxiety Chalamet was trying to express with his needless opera bashing.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
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Several former players have had enough of the Bam bashing.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Airlines across the region, like Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific are slapping hefty fuel surcharges on flights; Vietnam and the Philippines are even weighing whether to ground planes.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
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But every so often there comes a day that is so different—so unusual—so spectacular that its happening can only be chalked up to old-fashioned, knee-slapping good luck.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clobbering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clobbering. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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