as in cane
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
a farmer armed with a cudgel drove us off his land
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as in to bludgeon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cudgel
Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
Some in Trump’s orbit have advocated wielding U.S. military aid to Ukraine as a cudgel against whichever party proves intransigent in the talks: either by threatening to ramp up assistance to Kyiv to put the screws on Russia or to cut it off if Ukraine refuses to make the necessary compromises.
—Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2024
Timothy Ryback, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
Before long, fairs had such attractions as cudgelling bouts, bearbaiting, and something called gouging.
—Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for cudgel 
Noun
Seeing how insurance beneficiaries and policyholders who are overwhelmingly from the working and middle classes are at a major disadvantage, attorney Anthony M. Lopez decided to take up the cudgels for them, founding the specialist law firm Your Insurance Attorney.
—Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
Some in Trump’s orbit have advocated wielding U.S. military aid to Ukraine as a cudgel against whichever party proves intransigent in the talks: either by threatening to ramp up assistance to Kyiv to put the screws on Russia or to cut it off if Ukraine refuses to make the necessary compromises.
—Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
Hitler exploited his 37% to gridlock legislative processes, to cudgel or crush the political opposition, and ultimately to undermine the country’s democratic structures.
—Timothy Ryback, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
Before long, fairs had such attractions as cudgelling bouts, bearbaiting, and something called gouging.
—Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for cudgel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cudgel
Noun
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Sabrina Carpenter’s Oopsie-Daisy Sabrina Carpenter Photo by Maya Dehlin Spach/FilmMagic Stepping out in a glittery tux carrying (and promptly dropping) a sparkly dance cane, Sabrina Carpenter staged a classic Hollywood musical number as a blooper reel, complete with a full-troupe tap routine.—
Anna Gaca,
Pitchfork,
3 Feb. 2025
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There are posts about sticks shaped like hands, ones that resemble snakes, slingshot sticks, wizard staffs, curved canes and spiraled, twisted and beetle-gnawed sticks.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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And Harry and LaGuerta have run into a problem of their own: Paul Petrie, the man whose car is the sole clue in the NHI murders, was bludgeoned to death in his home well before the Miami vics were killed.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2025
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Paul Pelosi walked slowly to his seat with the help of a purple cane, more than two years after being bludgeoned with a hammer by an intruder looking for his wife, Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker.—
Heather Knight,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The job has been getting tougher Aaron Donald redefined the defensive tackle position with an eight-time All-Pro career over 10 seasons, and Jones has picked up the baton for the interior pass rushers since Donald retired.—
Dave Campbell,
Twin Cities,
3 Feb. 2025
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Kerrigan, then 24, got severely bruised on her leg after being hit with a baton one day before a major skating competition.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Kerry Carpenter clouted a key home run for the Detroit Tigers and Cole Ragans has pitched two terrific games for the Kansas City Royals among younger players stepping up.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes,
9 Oct. 2024
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Not since the former Yankee slugger clouted three home runs in a World Series game against the Dodgers in 1977 has Jackson done more with a pitch in the strike zone.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2024
Verb
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In her statement, Caroline assailed her cousin’s choices over the years and his lack of medical qualifications.—
Adam Carlson,
People.com,
29 Jan. 2025
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Bay Area officials assailed the administration’s move as an unlawful power grab.—
Ethan Varian,
The Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2025
Verb
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And some of them would continue to do the tomahawk chop, just like fans of the Atlanta Braves do.—
Jonathan Zimmerman,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2025
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The most challenging part of this one dish recipe is chopping the potatoes, which of course isn't even difficult.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The stock is getting smacked around after the bell, down 5%.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2025
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Musk's Controversial Gesture Musk smacked his chest and forcefully extended his right arm during a speech on January 20 during a rally after President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Does embracing low brow open a door for critics to whack you over the head with your own self-identification?—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes,
10 Jan. 2025
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The rings probably formed from an icy moon of Saturn getting whacked, hard, by an incoming object, perhaps even another moon.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near cudgel
Cite this Entry
“Cudgel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cudgel. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
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