pummeled

verb

variants also pummelled
past tense of pummel
as in pounded
to strike repeatedly pummeled the mugger with her fists until help arrived

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 pummeled The powerful nor’easter that pummeled North Carolina’s coast left something strange behind on the Outer Banks, photos show. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026 Residents of coastal communities in the Northeast slogged through floodwaters for a second day as a powerful nor’easter pummeled the shoreline Sunday, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes. — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026 Investors pummeled the drugmaker’s stock, underwhelmed by growth targets that matched industry averages rather than outpacing them. — Annika Kim Constantino,elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026 Guerrero has been repeatedly pummeled by hurricanes in recent years. — Megan Janetsky, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026 There was a chance that eastern Long Island could get pummeled with more than 2 inches of rain in six hours during the first part of Saturday night, depending on how the storm tracks, the NWS predicted. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 24 Sep. 2026 Orange County declared a state of emergency after powerful waves pummeled its beaches, causing severe coastal erosion and damaging seaside communities. — Michele Gile, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 On that particular day, Chiefs fans were still smarting after their team had wrapped up a 2-14 season just 48 hours earlier by being pummeled by the Broncos 38-3 in Denver. — Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026 Getting pummeled at the line of scrimmage allowed Ashton Jeanty to produce his third 100-yard rushing performance of his young career. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummeled
  1. pounded
  2. licked
  3. lashed
  4. whipped
  5. battered
  6. pelted
  7. attacked
  8. knocked
Verb
  • While four Brewers pitchers combined on a three-hitter and the defense made nearly every big play, Milwaukee’s lineup calmly worked counts, pounded 10 hits through the Padres’ defense and manufactured enough runs to head home smiling.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • But, pounded thin, breaded, and fried, served under lashings of sweet-sharp blackberry sauce, with a confetti of whole blackberries and leaves of mint, the lamb version was brilliant and bizarre, a symphony of strong-willed flavors.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of pounded
Verb
  • Tuxedo kitten Paolina bounced onto my chest and licked my fingers.
    — Solvej Schou, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Her entire face got licked clean off her head when suburban floodwaters breached the cardboard hull protecting Kath’s basement memorabilia stack a few months before I was born.
    — Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of licked
Verb
  • San Diego lashed 30 of his 88 pitches for fouls, as Misiorowski’s command and velocity escaped him in the second inning.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • An intruder pressed a knife to Beatty's neck, wrapped her face in tape, lashed her to a bed and assaulted her for hours.
    — Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of lashed
Verb
  • After learning that Manchester whipped Maggie with a cat-o’-nine-tails, Lizzie agrees to help the Borden family’s maid kill her.
    — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
  • That sort of whipped, inswinging ball from Slater that caused so much havoc is hugely familiar to avid Premier League watchers.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of whipped
Verb
  • All my teams got battered last week, and I'm still pumped to get a new week going.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The freshman who could be a Curtis rival for years to come, Tennessee’s Faizon Brandon, was battered a week ago by Texas and was benched by coach Josh Heupel in the first half against Auburn after a bad interception.
    — Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of battered
Verb
  • If/when that day comes, that person should be pelted with rocks and garbage until (s)he stops having terrible ideas.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • This year, rain pelted the ground and the side of the building during the ceremony.
    — Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of pelted
Verb
  • Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Friday that Ukraine attacked four Russian oil refineries overnight, but air defenses fended off the attacks.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Trust took another nosedive when OpenAI’s agents attacked Hugging Face this summer and, in a world-first, a rogue model hacked the Australian Government’s website.
    — Yerbol Orynbayev, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of attacked
Verb
  • In a press conference on Wednesday, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry said the police investigation began on the night of Oct 8, 2011, when a 17-year-old girl ran to apartment complex on Lumbee Drive, knocked on a door, and asked for help.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The Maine, North Carolina, and Texas AFL-CIOs and their affiliates have knocked hundreds of thousands of doors already this cycle, presenting voters with the contract and where the candidates stand.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of knocked

Browse Nearby Words

pummel
pummeled
pummeling
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Cite this Entry

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

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