as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
pummeled the mugger with her fists until help arrived
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Recent Examples of pummel
The outcome reflected shifts in the power balance in Lebanon and the wider Middle East, with Shi’ite Muslim Hezbollah badly pummeled from last year’s war, and its Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad toppled in December.
—
Reuters, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2025
Winter storm Cora:Another winter storm is brewing: See which states are expected to see snow, ice
Download USA TODAY's app to get to the heart of news Deadly winter storm pummels Mid-Atlantic, disrupting flights and schools in several states How much snow has fallen near you?
—Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
The city Hollywood loves to spectacularly destroy in its movies keeps getting pummeled in real life.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Jan. 2025
November to April is cyclone season in the southwestern Indian Ocean, and the region has been pummeled by a series of strong ones in recent years.
—Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pummel 
Reuters, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2025
Winter storm Cora:Another winter storm is brewing: See which states are expected to see snow, ice
Download USA TODAY's app to get to the heart of news Deadly winter storm pummels Mid-Atlantic, disrupting flights and schools in several states How much snow has fallen near you?
—Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
The city Hollywood loves to spectacularly destroy in its movies keeps getting pummeled in real life.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Jan. 2025
November to April is cyclone season in the southwestern Indian Ocean, and the region has been pummeled by a series of strong ones in recent years.
—Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pummel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummel
Verb
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If pets do go outside, Aitken recommended wiping their paws with a wet towel or baby wipes to ensure any soot is removed, to stop them from licking it off.—
John Mac Ghlionn,
Newsweek,
13 Jan. 2025
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Wipe paws off after walking outdoors with a wet washcloth or baby wipes to prevent pets from licking soot off of their feet after coming inside.—
Geoffrey Eisler,
ABC News,
12 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Asked about his identity and to provide authorization, Deng tried to hide his equipment and flee, prompting the officials to take him and his companions into custody.—
Kristen Waggoner,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
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The show struggles a bit in places to credibly evoke the relative innocence (or quiet oppression) of the 1970s and there are some moments of cluttered staging that just don’t work; as one example, a big gag involving kids hiding in a coffin kinda needs a casket to work.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
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As Israel pounded Gaza in response Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN,
20 Jan. 2025
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The first phase of the truce took effect following a three-hour delay during which Israeli warplanes and artillery pounded the Gaza Strip.—
Mohammed Salem,
USA TODAY,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Prior to beating Georgetown, DePaul’s last Big East win was over No. 8 Xavier on Jan. 18, 2023.—
Ryan Canfield,
Fox News,
18 Jan. 2025
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Chicken Selects / Tenders Made of white breast meat with a peppery, crispy coating, Chicken Selects beat McNuggets any day of the week.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Trump himself has lashed out at Newsom a number of times over the issue and has ignored a request from the governor to visit the area.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
14 Jan. 2025
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Spencer is appropriately freaked out and lashing out at just about everyone, though Bobby does offer him a potential suspect in Rafael Campos, the head of the Los Tigres cartel who is currently in prison thanks in part to Captain Spencer and Judge Powell.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Today infernos whipped by a perfect storm of high winds and drought conditions hit the Western edges of the United States especially hard.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA TODAY,
17 Jan. 2025
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As the fire came closer, whipped by strong winds barreling down the mountains, no ambulance appeared.—
Claire Fahy,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Get a sled and hit the park, make snow angels and pelt each other with snowballs…roll up a snowman too.—
Erin Reimel,
Glamour,
27 Dec. 2024
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Thankfully, Eilish appears to be OK following being pelted in the face, but others have been seriously injured, like Bebe Rexha, who needed three stitches after she got hit by an iPhone someone threw at her face while performing in 2023.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
14 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Newsom greeted Trump with a handshake, and the president slapped him on the back.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
25 Jan. 2025
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One such surprise could be Trump declining to follow through on his plans to slap Canadian and Mexican imports with tariffs, which would affect most automakers.—
William Gavin,
Quartz,
21 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near pummel
Cite this Entry
“Pummel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pummel. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
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