glancing blow
noun
: a blow with less than full force that falls off to one side
The falling tile struck him with a glancing blow on the head.
Examples of glancing blow in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While forecasters say the impact is expected to be minor, even a glancing blow from a coronal mass ejection (also known as a CME) can supercharge geomagnetic conditions and brighten aurora displays across higher latitudes, even temporarily.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
That said, forecasters are still modelling their paths and a glancing blow remains possible.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2026
For now, forecasters are watching whether any material from the latest eruptions delivers a glancing blow to Earth’s magnetic field in the coming days.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
Even a glancing blow can make the difference between a galaxy filled with stars and no galaxy at all.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
However, this round of rainfall will be more of a glancing blow for San Antonio, with more widespread storms expected to stay farther north, from the Hill Country toward Austin.
—Anthony Franze, San Antonio Express-News, 31 Mar. 2026
Here are the scenarios that are in play: Scenario 1: A glancing blow
This scenario is most likely at this time given recent computer model projections.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
This new storm will deliver a glancing blow to southern New England on Sunday before quickly racing out to sea.
—Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025
That driver was lucky: The train struck only a glancing blow to the car’s side, and the driver and his passengers had exited the car before the crash.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
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Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
That said, forecasters are still modelling their paths and a glancing blow remains possible.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2026
For now, forecasters are watching whether any material from the latest eruptions delivers a glancing blow to Earth’s magnetic field in the coming days.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
Even a glancing blow can make the difference between a galaxy filled with stars and no galaxy at all.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
However, this round of rainfall will be more of a glancing blow for San Antonio, with more widespread storms expected to stay farther north, from the Hill Country toward Austin.
—Anthony Franze, San Antonio Express-News, 31 Mar. 2026
Here are the scenarios that are in play: Scenario 1: A glancing blow
This scenario is most likely at this time given recent computer model projections.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
This new storm will deliver a glancing blow to southern New England on Sunday before quickly racing out to sea.
—Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025
That driver was lucky: The train struck only a glancing blow to the car’s side, and the driver and his passengers had exited the car before the crash.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Glancing blow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glancing%20blow. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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