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sucker punch
verb
sucker punched; sucker punching; sucker punches
: to punch (a person) suddenly without warning and often without apparent provocation
sucker punch
noun
Examples of sucker punch in a Sentence
One of them sucker punched me.
Recent Examples on the Web
Though the evening doesn't quite go as planned, the gang consoles each other at home, where Jess gets her revenge on Nick for the sucker punch.
—Nicole Briese, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
But, the Dodgers have been clearly, surprisingly staggered, after the reality check of a long afternoon, the unsettled recipients of one nasty sucker punch.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024
After a sucker punch of an introduction that evokes the childhood trauma of anyone who’s seen Bambi, Neva traffics almost exclusively in the well-meaning manipulation of players’ emotional intelligence.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2024
But Lauri Markkanen represented an opportunity for the Dubs to return to the mix in the Western Conference — a chance to pull out of the downward spiral that started when, in the aftermath of the surprise 2022 NBA title, Draymond Green sucker punched Jordan Poole in a preseason practice.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sucker punch
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sucker punch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1964, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to sucker punch
Dictionary Entries Near sucker punch
Cite this Entry
“Sucker punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sucker%20punch. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
sucker punch
verb
: to punch (a person) suddenly and usually without any obvious reason
sucker punch
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on sucker punch
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sucker punch
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