as in hulk
a big clumsy often slow-witted person
I wish he wouldn't bring over here that bunch of palookas he calls his friends
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Recent Examples of palooka
One year after the Academy bafflingly ignored his work in Sideways, Giamatti finally scored his first Oscar nomination for his purely entertaining performance as boxing manager Joe Gould in Ron Howard’s proudly old-fashioned Depression-era palooka drama.
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A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024
Sylvester Stallone's underdog tale about a struggling palooka given one shot at the heavyweight championship is a stirring sports movie with a level of charm and sweetness that dissipated in the rounds (and rounds) of sequels that followed.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 25 July 2019
All this real guts and glory in Philadelphia, yet one of the big tourist attractions is to run up the Art Museum steps the way a palooka named Rocky Balboa did on the silver screen.
—Bill Livingston, cleveland.com, 1 Jan. 2018
The jokes (by screenwriters Van Robichaux and Evan Susser) have all the wit of a punch-drunk palooka.
—Michael O'Sullivan, The Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2017
Without it, director Phillipe Falardeau's film would be a fairly unremarkable, fairly familiar ride, telling the tale of a big-hearted but undisciplined palooka whose biggest hurdle in life is his own bad judgment.
—Mike Scott, NOLA.com, 17 May 2017
A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024
Sylvester Stallone's underdog tale about a struggling palooka given one shot at the heavyweight championship is a stirring sports movie with a level of charm and sweetness that dissipated in the rounds (and rounds) of sequels that followed.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 25 July 2019
All this real guts and glory in Philadelphia, yet one of the big tourist attractions is to run up the Art Museum steps the way a palooka named Rocky Balboa did on the silver screen.
—Bill Livingston, cleveland.com, 1 Jan. 2018
The jokes (by screenwriters Van Robichaux and Evan Susser) have all the wit of a punch-drunk palooka.
—Michael O'Sullivan, The Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2017
Without it, director Phillipe Falardeau's film would be a fairly unremarkable, fairly familiar ride, telling the tale of a big-hearted but undisciplined palooka whose biggest hurdle in life is his own bad judgment.
—Mike Scott, NOLA.com, 17 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palooka
Noun
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There were literal piles of dead and mangled Russians around the smoldering hulks.David Axe, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
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The gleaming and modern hulk might have been rejected by the district’s conservative populace, especially since the Mubaraks had supported hospital fundraising efforts.Sushrut Jangi, Foreign Affairs, 7 Dec. 2014
Noun
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The presidential victor will be showered in praise while the loser will be excoriated — no matter how close the election turns out to be.Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
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Details: Each county then designates a recount board made up of three members: one chosen by the apparent winner, one by the apparent loser and a third person agreed upon by both.Linh Ta, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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If your nipples change—especially if inversion happens suddenly or comes with tugging, pain, lumps, or discharge—consult a healthcare provider for further evaluation.Brandi Jones, MSN-Ed, Health, 2 Nov. 2024
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All individuals who use these medications should be alert to symptoms of a thyroid tumor, such as a lump in the neck, a hoarse voice, and difficulty breathing or swallowing.Karen Berger, PharmD, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The mutt belongs to none other than Glen Powell, Hollywood’s hottie with a heart of gold.Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2024
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Temperatures that may be safe for a young, healthy mutt, may be lethal for a senior, overweight, brachycephalic purebred like a bulldog.Wes Siler, Outside Online, 26 July 2024
Noun
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Marlena’s John is an iconic hero, and unfailingly rescuing her from all matter of villains.Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024
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The film stars, of all people, Hugh Grant, who is said to have an amazing turn as a villain in the film.Paul Tassi, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Noun
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It Chapter Two is down to clown, again — in a bloody, silly, overwrought sequel Moving down the tension scale to thrillers, Netflix is offloading a few particularly popular titles.Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 2 Nov. 2024
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An 8-year-old girl fought off a man wearing a clown mask who police in Colorado reported attacked and attempted to kidnap her during a break-in at her family's home last week.Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The county also confirmed the disease in eight skunks, two raccoons, two foxes and a dog, who also bit a person.Brooke Park, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Oct. 2024
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Goetz also calls out juniper and boxwood foliage for notoriously smelling like cat urine, hawthorn tree flowers for smelling like carrion, and the flashy flowers of crown fritillaria (Fritillaria imperialis) bulbs for mimicking a skunk.Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near palooka
Cite this Entry
“Palooka.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palooka. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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