variants
also pummelling
as in thrashing
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variants
also pummelling
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly
pummeled the mugger with her fists until help arrived
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pummeling
Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026
Of course, Flextail didn't curl up, back into a corner and submit to a pummeling, counterpunching with its own tiny 1-oz inflator just a couple months later.
—New Atlas, 20 Apr. 2026
On April 8, 2025, Wrobleski endured an eight-run pummeling by the Washington Nationals and was immediately sent down to triple-A Oklahoma City.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
In early February, at an Airbnb Peters was renting near Orlando, Peters’ girlfriend, Violet Lentz, got into a shouting, shoving and pummeling match with another woman, while Peters posted the conflict to social media, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Stout, bluesy guitar and a pummeling rhythm lead to McBryde turning in a ferocious, fearless vocal, singing about a litany of vices and urges that stay steeped her bloodline.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2026
Through punches and pummeling, cheating and cursing, their bond remained (mostly) intact.
—Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
The signature chi massage is based around meridian lines—a questionnaire determines which is most suitable for you—and the company’s bespoke oils are used in the massage, which is good, although maybe not one for those requiring serious pummelling.
—Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
His bandmates, naturally, summon apocalyptic cacophonies of gut-rattling guitar-riff fuselage and pummeling drumming.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
This year’s record-warm, dry spring is pummeling Colorado farmers amid multiple threats, disrupting the state’s $9 billion agricultural sector and jeopardizing even signature crops such as Pueblo green chiles, Olathe sweet corn and Palisade peaches.
—Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
On top of everything else pummeling consumers right now — spiking gas prices, soaring grocery bills, an uncertain job market — there’s a wild card lurking in a shadowy corner of corporate finance that could pile on even more pain.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
The report notes that a big increase in supply is pummeling the south and west.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
That’s precisely what the Hornets did in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, pummeling the Nets 117-86 at Barclays Center to halt a two-game losing streak at the hands of Philadelphia and Boston over the weekend.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
Miami got off to a 1-6 start because every NFL team was pummeling the Dolphins on the ground.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Through a mix of orders, shaming, and a whole lot of banging of the gavel, the octogenarian managed to avoid a nightmare scenario of one of his colleagues pummeling a witness.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Caught on camera, the violent altercation involved multiple suspects pummeling a man while allegedly hurling religious slurs.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
The increasingly gruesome pummelling continues, cross-cutting with Cassie’s discussion with Naz (Jack Topalian), calmly eating pie on the couch, about what this means to her, and how her wedding was supposed to be the best day of her life.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026
Of course, Flextail didn't curl up, back into a corner and submit to a pummeling, counterpunching with its own tiny 1-oz inflator just a couple months later.
—New Atlas, 20 Apr. 2026
On April 8, 2025, Wrobleski endured an eight-run pummeling by the Washington Nationals and was immediately sent down to triple-A Oklahoma City.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
In early February, at an Airbnb Peters was renting near Orlando, Peters’ girlfriend, Violet Lentz, got into a shouting, shoving and pummeling match with another woman, while Peters posted the conflict to social media, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Stout, bluesy guitar and a pummeling rhythm lead to McBryde turning in a ferocious, fearless vocal, singing about a litany of vices and urges that stay steeped her bloodline.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2026
Through punches and pummeling, cheating and cursing, their bond remained (mostly) intact.
—Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
The signature chi massage is based around meridian lines—a questionnaire determines which is most suitable for you—and the company’s bespoke oils are used in the massage, which is good, although maybe not one for those requiring serious pummelling.
—Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
His bandmates, naturally, summon apocalyptic cacophonies of gut-rattling guitar-riff fuselage and pummeling drumming.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
At one point, the crew shot a scene in which Whalen’s character joins a bar fight, shouting invectives at a hapless extra before pummelling him to the ground.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
This year’s record-warm, dry spring is pummeling Colorado farmers amid multiple threats, disrupting the state’s $9 billion agricultural sector and jeopardizing even signature crops such as Pueblo green chiles, Olathe sweet corn and Palisade peaches.
—Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
On top of everything else pummeling consumers right now — spiking gas prices, soaring grocery bills, an uncertain job market — there’s a wild card lurking in a shadowy corner of corporate finance that could pile on even more pain.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
The report notes that a big increase in supply is pummeling the south and west.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
That’s precisely what the Hornets did in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, pummeling the Nets 117-86 at Barclays Center to halt a two-game losing streak at the hands of Philadelphia and Boston over the weekend.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
Miami got off to a 1-6 start because every NFL team was pummeling the Dolphins on the ground.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Through a mix of orders, shaming, and a whole lot of banging of the gavel, the octogenarian managed to avoid a nightmare scenario of one of his colleagues pummeling a witness.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Caught on camera, the violent altercation involved multiple suspects pummeling a man while allegedly hurling religious slurs.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummeling
Noun
-
Arsenal enters the match as the favorite, but Sporting has been resilient in the Champions League, rebounding from a 3-0 loss to tournament darlings Bodo/Glimt with a 5-0 thrashing in Lisbon.—
Pueng Vongs,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
His only Champions League goal arrived in January’s 6-0 thrashing of Qarabag, and his only assists in the competition came in similarly comfortable wins over Eintracht Frankfurt and Galatasaray.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
JWords takes a different tack on Sound Therapy, embracing gentle synth melodies and pads that take the edge off her skittering drums and pounding basslines.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
11 May 2026
-
Apple Bank of America said Apple remains a table-pounding buy.—
Michael Bloom,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Wrexham were fourth bottom of the fledgling table after the third of those three losses, a 3-1 hammering by Queens Park Rangers.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
-
That's the part worth hammering, not that Nike is greedy or calculating.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
But host Kristen Kish is licking her lips at the prospect of taking the show even further afield in the future.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
-
At the film’s start, Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs is now an award-winning journalist, licking her wounds from a recent layoff.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The target of our petty president’s latest bashing is Pope Leo XIV, the first American leader of the Catholic Church, who seems to be a guy with Midwestern common sense.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Which seems like the anxiety Chalamet was trying to express with his needless opera bashing.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
San José Mayor Matt Mahan started off the debate by lashing out at both Republicans and Democrats.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
In no time more than a dozen dragons were lunging up at the carcasses, tearing off chunks and lashing out at competing toothy mouths around them.—
Craig Stanford,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Norma Jane Lumpkin, whose long hair hung past her waist, was four decades into a life sentence for her role in the 1981 bludgeoning death of her husband.—
Pamela Colloff,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
-
This game was expected to be a taut preview of the gold-medal game but has turned into a bludgeoning.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After all, the two Republicans have spent more than $80 million battering each other on the airwaves.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The suspect above is wanted for spitting on Red Line passengers, battering one.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pummeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pummeling. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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