bonking

verb

present participle of bonk
as in smacking
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner an overhead branch suddenly fell and bonked him on the head

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bonking Seffrin and his team note that their study suggests that men might be able to thwart bonking by running slower in the first half of a marathon and getting continually faster as the race progresses, a pacing strategy known as negative splitting. — Claire Maldarelli, Scientific American, 2 July 2026 Those misses rarely occurred in season two, but three episodes into this season, the bat is flying wildly around the stadium, bonking people in the head in a freak mass-casualty bat-event. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 22 June 2026 Watch the baby birds bonking at the video at the top of the story. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonking
  1. smacking
  2. hitting
  3. banging
  4. slapping
  5. knocking
  6. punching
  7. slamming
  8. whacking
Verb
  • But Varma and Shivam Dube (27) upped the ante in the final three overs by smacking 57 runs against Sufyan Moqim, Ayub and Ahmed Daniyal.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Carrington was ejected from the game in the first half after smacking Cunningham across the face during Cunningham's layup attempt.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of smacking
Verb
  • The national Democratic effort to defeat Collins kept going; now the party is spending millions on an ad hitting her for a ProPublica story about her links to a corrupt defense contractor.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Last year in Arizona, a motorcyclist was fatally injured after hitting a Waymo and being flung into the road.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of hitting
Verb
  • Kulich stood near the side of the net banging his stick on the ice, and Power found him with the perfect pass.
    — Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The autistic girl had stopped hurting herself by banging her head on the floor when she was frustrated.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of banging
Verb
  • Hochman said the nannies were caught on video spanking, slapping or hitting the children.
    — News Editor, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Residents have reported paying excessive amounts to retrieve their vehicles from tow yards, with companies sometimes slapping extra fees on drivers who contact the police, according to council members.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of slapping
Verb
  • For the hearing impaired, select rooms feature visual fire alarms plus signals for telephone ringing and door knocking.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Political handicapping has a way of knocking people down a couple of notches.
    — Nathan Gonzales CQ-Roll Call, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of knocking
Verb
  • An image from a San Francisco police officer's body camera shows an officer punching Kevon Gibson as he is being restrained by other officers.
    — Senior Editor, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In June, LaBeouf was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to punching three people outside a New Orleans bar during Mardi Gras.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of punching
Verb
  • Donalds’ speech ran the gamut of Republican campaign points, from slamming COVID lockdowns to border crossings.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
  • On the same day, HHS senior adviser Calley Means doubled down on the claim, posting on X that Kennedy is doing so well that Democratic operatives are slamming the FDA for doing its job by conducting food recalls.
    — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of slamming
Verb
  • There are frightening stories of swordfish charging boats, and even spearing their transoms and whacking propellers.
    — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Yes, there were moments of humor, such as getting magic potions around the campfire at the end of each stage by whacking helpless little elves, but most of it was played straight, to great effect.
    — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of whacking

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Bonking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonking. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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