batter

verb

ˈba-tər How to pronounce batter (audio)
Definition of batternext
1
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly children battered the piñata until it broke open

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to bomb
to use bombs or artillery against planes battered the city for weeks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb batter contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of batter are cripple, maim, mangle, and mutilate. While all these words mean "to injure so severely as to cause lasting damage," batter implies a series of blows that bruise deeply, deform, or mutilate.

an old ship battered by fierce storms

When is cripple a more appropriate choice than batter?

The synonyms cripple and batter are sometimes interchangeable, but cripple implies the loss or serious impairment of an arm or leg.

crippled for life in an accident

When can maim be used instead of batter?

While in some cases nearly identical to batter, maim implies the loss or injury of a bodily member through violence.

maimed by a shark

When is it sensible to use mangle instead of batter?

In some situations, the words mangle and batter are roughly equivalent. However, mangle implies a tearing or crushing that leaves deep wounds.

a soldier's leg mangled by shrapnel

In what contexts can mutilate take the place of batter?

Although the words mutilate and batter have much in common, mutilate implies the cutting off or removal of an essential part of a person or thing thereby impairing its completeness, beauty, or function.

a tree mutilated by inept pruning

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 batter Iran, meanwhile, hit an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar and Kuwait’s airport on Wednesday while airstrikes battered Tehran as the fighting continued. —Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026 Bank stocks have been battered in 2026, but the tide may be about to turn. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026 The Gulf War left Saddam Hussein in power, but weakened and dangerous, a source of regional instability for another decade—a pattern that some fear might be playing out in Iran, if the regime emerges from the war battered but no less entrenched. —Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026 Challenges must be made immediately after a pitch is delivered and can be initiated by a pitcher, catcher or batter with no outside help from teammates or coaches inside the dugout. —Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for batter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for batter
  1. lick
  2. bomb
  3. pound
  4. shell
  5. lash
  6. bat
  7. whip
  8. hide
Verb
  • Five caribou stood licking at the stain.
    — Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The department shared photos of Ziggy, still wearing a bandage on his left hind leg, jumping up and licking Spring's face during a recent visit.
    — Neal Riley, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • One of the sites bombed that day was an Iranian school, leading to at least 175 deaths, most of them children.
    — Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The United States bombed the Isfahan facility along with two other nuclear sites on June 22.
    — Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of bomb
Verb
  • The school had also employed about two dozen teachers and administrative staff, many of whom were young graduates in their 20s now without an income – at a time when their nation’s already struggling economy has been further pounded by war.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Wild video captured the moment a young fisherman plunged into pounding Southern California surf to wrestle a thrashing shark and free it from his fishing line.
    — Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of pound
Verb
  • The Sudan Doctors Network, a group tracking the war, said the RSF and their allies shelled residential areas in the city amid dire humanitarian conditions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The Sudan Doctors Network, a group tracking the war, said the RSF and its allies shelled residential areas in the city amid dire humanitarian conditions.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
Definition of shell
Verb
  • One side of the brush features short, dense bristles that deposit rich black color and build volume, while the longer bristles on the other side help guide lashes upward.
    — Lily Wohlner, Allure, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Toward the end of the final episode of Love Story, Constance Zimmer’s Ann Messina Freeman lashes out at Caroline Kennedy over her daughters’ deaths.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of lash
Verb
  • Providence coach Jim Holba bats her out of the leadoff spot.
    — Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Wallner himself batted 29 points higher against lefties in 2025, without losing any of his power.
    — David Brown, Twin Cities, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of bat
Verb
  • Children too short to see the stage stood on their tip-toes to watch Kevin Reyes, the actor who played the part of Jesus, being whipped.
    — Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The famously-shy sophomore obliged, several of her teammates whipping out their phones to record the big moment.
    — Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2026
Definition of whip
Verb
  • Senior Assistant County Attorney Bryan Schmid argued in court filings that Scott failed to show the law is unconstitutional and suggested that Scott could create his website and post his videos with redactions to hide the personal information in the clips.
    — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Check and uncheck the boxes next each candidate to show/hide their responses.
    — Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 4 Apr. 2026
Definition of hide

Browse Nearby Words

battens (down)
batter
battered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Batter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/batter. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on batter

Nglish: Translation of batter for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about batter

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