as in cane
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
guards armed with bludgeons roamed the compound
Synonyms & Similar Words
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1
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
remodelers bludgeoned the wall with a sledgehammer to join the two rooms
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
a boxer bludgeoning his opponent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of bludgeon
Adam Gale, Fortune Europe, 13 May 2024
Others assaulted Capitol police with pepper spray, bludgeons, and other makeshift weapons.
—Allison Novelo, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024
Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 14 Aug. 2024
Several hours later, she was found dead in her own home – bludgeoned and strangled.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bludgeon 
Noun
To understand why, consider that while interest rates may be a government’s main tool for dealing with inflation in modern economies, that tool is a bludgeon, not a scalpel.
—Adam Gale, Fortune Europe, 13 May 2024
Others assaulted Capitol police with pepper spray, bludgeons, and other makeshift weapons.
—Allison Novelo, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024
Verb
The Astros began the tailspin of an intrastate rival, bludgeoned a burgeoning Red Sox club and, during the past three days, reaped the benefits of the Rays’ trade deadline selloff.
—Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 14 Aug. 2024
Several hours later, she was found dead in her own home – bludgeoned and strangled.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bludgeon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bludgeon
Noun
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Paul Pelosi walked slowly to his seat with the help of a purple cane, more than two years after being bludgeoned with a hammer by an intruder looking for his wife, Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker.Heather Knight, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
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Simulation exercises, like walking with a blindfold while using a cane, help people understand the life of someone who has lost their sight.Caitlin Granfield, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Kerby Joseph came over and pushed Jennings into the stands while Arnold slapped the player in the helmet.Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 31 Dec. 2024
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Super Mario 64 has such spectacular vibes, with bright, colorful graphics, music that absolutely slaps, and level design that, while basic, is more than good enough to get the job done.George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Sweet guitar licks snake around Lee’s voice in the original recording.David Bauder, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
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Water collected in green pools that Leone said would sting if a dog stepped in or licked them.Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Singer uses modern milling techniques to mill from clay and build hard models before the baton is handed off to the engineers.Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 1 Jan. 2025
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Perhaps Kohli will ponder doing right by India and step aside for a younger teammate to take the baton.Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Shake Milton, playing because guard Gabe Vincent missed Tuesday’s game because of an oblique injury, hit a pair of threes in 10 minutes, but the Lakers’ second unit without Russell was badly outscored 32-12.Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025
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El Sett After biopics devoted to iconic music artists Maria Callas (Maria), Amy Winehouse (Back to Black) and Bob Dylan (A Complete Unknown) in 2024, the life of famed Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum will hit the big screen in 2025.Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Heavy snow pounded the district, with totals of 5-9 inches and isolated areas receiving up to 12 inches.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
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Allar has pounded the table time and time again for his receivers.Audrey Snyder, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Some in Trump’s orbit have advocated wielding U.S. military aid to Ukraine as a cudgel against whichever party proves intransigent in the talks: either by threatening to ramp up assistance to Kyiv to put the screws on Russia or to cut it off if Ukraine refuses to make the necessary compromises.Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2024
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In some ways, Biden acted preemptively, not just to spare his son but also to avoid handing Trump yet another political cudgel.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Don't let the small can fool you though, this high will smack you in the face.Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
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Freeman, who had been struggling through an ankle injury, smacked the first pitch from Nestor Cortes 413 feet in the 10th inning of Game 1 for the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history.NBC Los Angeles, NBC News, 16 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near bludgeon
Cite this Entry
“Bludgeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bludgeon. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
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