punch-drunk

adjective

ˈpənch-ˌdrəŋk How to pronounce punch-drunk (audio)
Definition of punch-drunknext
as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion punch-drunk from having stayed up all night, she struggled through the exam

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 punch-drunk The yen looked punch-drunk on Wednesday after a sudden spill overnight, pressured by wide interest rate differentials between Japan and the rest of the world. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 19 June 2026 Candy thought so too, later recalling that the only hard part of filming the scene was doing it over and over again for Hughes and his punch-drunk crew. — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025 Guiducci arrives at a moment when some of that anger has subsided, and the punch-drunk culture seems counterintuitively eager to escape into nostalgia and tastemaking, splashy profiles, and — just sometimes — confrontational journalism. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2025 Having given us a punch-drunk vision of romantic dilemmas in her masterpiece of a debut, Song now delivers a more practical, hangover-adjacent look at how the human need for relationships gets turned into a bespoke luxury item. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2025 Only the most punch-drunk partisan would give Republicans as much as a 50-50 chance of succeeding Gavin Newsom. — Mark Barabak, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025 It’s better described as a series of springy volleys backward and forward through time—the movie ping-pongs between 2019 and 2006, with stops in between—that leave you feeling a little dizzy, even a bit punch-drunk. — Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024 The notion that anyone might make a beeline to turn this punch-drunk nonsense into a new Statham franchise seems unlikely. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch-drunk
  1. dazed
  2. bewildered
  3. confused
  4. distracted
  5. stunned
  6. dizzy
Adjective
  • But the man simply stood there with a dazed expression on his face, swaying gently in the living room of their small, cramped flat, like a lone tree in the breeze.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Laiken Randolph appeared dazed, and possibly on drugs, officers remarked.
    — Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of dazed
Adjective
  • But Iñárritu’s caricatures become people in a way Kubrick’s don’t; as the bewildered President, for example, John Goodman is simultaneously grounded and theatrical in his presentation, recalling his best work with the Coen brothers.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Five o’clock Saturday, the Riverside Stadium and Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg is fist-pumping a half-bewildered but fully enthused home crowd.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of bewildered
Adjective
  • On-the-ground responders became confused by a deluge of 911 calls.
    — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Blandino was happy to have scored an invite, even if fans were confused.
    — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of confused
Adjective
  • The proprietary clipguard technology that comes with it drastically reduces distortion and a internal pop filter to prevent plosive breath noise so listeners aren't distracted.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026
  • When leaders are rushing and distracted, people quietly withdraw.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of distracted
Adjective
  • As Bijan Robinson raced down the sideline and the rest of his Falcons teammates sprinted in pursuit, a mixture of an eerie hush and a stunned buzz fell over Caesars Superdome from a crowd still not entirely settled in its seats.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The record closed out the 13-song set, which ended in a staggering high note from Spiro and a standing ovation from a stunned ACL audience.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of stunned
Adjective
  • To that end, there are questions about whether Mayich and his teammates had access to sufficient water and the degree of attention ASU paid to his initial symptoms, including feeling dizzy.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Back in June, Richie cut a performance short after speaking on stage about feeling dizzy, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported at the time.
    — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of dizzy

Browse Nearby Words

punch
punch-drunk
punched
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Cite this Entry

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

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