sucker punch

verb

sucker punched; sucker punching; sucker punches

transitive verb

: 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

Time Traveler
The first known use of sucker punch was in 1964

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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