deal a blow
idiom
formal
: to hit (someone or something) so as to cause harm
He dealt his enemy a mighty blow.
—usually used figurativelyThe factory closing will deal a serious/severe/devastating/crushing blow to the town's economy.
Her career as an ice skater was dealt a fatal blow when she broke her leg.
Examples of deal a blow in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The resurfacing of the Becciu issue could deal a blow to Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, a senior Vatican official who is seen as a leading candidate to succeed Francis.
—
Joshua McElwee, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
The layoffs will deal a blow, but the union, which represents 820,000 federal and Washington, D.C., government workers, contended its fight for the rights of federal employees will not slow down.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025
Tariffs on Chinese E-Commerce: The Trump administration’s plan to add steep fees to packages from China will deal a blow to Temu, Shein and some TikTok Shop sellers, worrying American consumers.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
But county governments also collect income taxes, and a tax break for lower-income Marylanders would deal a blow to some counties’ budgets.
—Paul Kiefer, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deal a blow
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Joshua McElwee, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
The layoffs will deal a blow, but the union, which represents 820,000 federal and Washington, D.C., government workers, contended its fight for the rights of federal employees will not slow down.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025
Tariffs on Chinese E-Commerce: The Trump administration’s plan to add steep fees to packages from China will deal a blow to Temu, Shein and some TikTok Shop sellers, worrying American consumers.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
But county governments also collect income taxes, and a tax break for lower-income Marylanders would deal a blow to some counties’ budgets.
—Paul Kiefer, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deal a blow
Cite this Entry
“Deal a blow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deal%20a%20blow. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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