1
as in abused
to abuse physically
demonstrators who claimed that they had been mauled by the police
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in licked
to strike repeatedly
the irate store owner was mauling the shoplifter when the police showed up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mauled
Lanning has been a borderline disaster in the CFP, getting squashed by Ohio State in 2024 and mauled by Indiana in 2025 (after dominating Texas Tech).
—
Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
The family’s oldest child was once forced to watch her cat be mauled to death by feral dogs after she was caught taking food out of the pantry without permission.
—Stephanie Kaloi, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
The fate of the man who left a 5-year-old girl to be mauled to death by alligators in the Everglades after trying to kill her mother is about to be in the hands of a Miami jury.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Three years ago, a pack of dingoes mauled a 23-year-old jogger in an attack police said was almost fatal.
—CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
The second fatality occurred in 2001, when 9-year-old Clinton Gage was mauled on K’gari, then called Fraser Island, by two dingoes who also attacked his younger brother.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
The New England defense is terrific, given how the Patriots mauled the Texans while limiting them to 241 yards.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 Jan. 2026
Leona, the lioness who mauled the teen, is under evaluation.
—Kate Reilly, NBC news, 1 Dec. 2025
In his experience, a person mauled by a grizzly was usually bitten and battered but then left to die and ripen before being eaten; a black bear would kill outright and feed immediately.
—William D. Brown, Outdoor Life, 13 Nov. 2025
Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
The family’s oldest child was once forced to watch her cat be mauled to death by feral dogs after she was caught taking food out of the pantry without permission.
—Stephanie Kaloi, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
The fate of the man who left a 5-year-old girl to be mauled to death by alligators in the Everglades after trying to kill her mother is about to be in the hands of a Miami jury.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Three years ago, a pack of dingoes mauled a 23-year-old jogger in an attack police said was almost fatal.
—CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
The second fatality occurred in 2001, when 9-year-old Clinton Gage was mauled on K’gari, then called Fraser Island, by two dingoes who also attacked his younger brother.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
The New England defense is terrific, given how the Patriots mauled the Texans while limiting them to 241 yards.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 Jan. 2026
Leona, the lioness who mauled the teen, is under evaluation.
—Kate Reilly, NBC news, 1 Dec. 2025
In his experience, a person mauled by a grizzly was usually bitten and battered but then left to die and ripen before being eaten; a black bear would kill outright and feed immediately.
—William D. Brown, Outdoor Life, 13 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mauled
Verb
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Saxon had abused the woman for years, fracturing her hip and nose and causing internal bleeding, a judge found in a ruling ordering him detained pending trial.—
Ryan J. Foley,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
He is estimated to have abused at least 1,000 women and children over decades of secret operations, the Justice Department said.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Ghadimi licked her lips over and over.—
Babak Dehghanpisheh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
-
When asked by director Marina Zenovich if there was a time when Chase walked away from his mother and stepfather and never saw them again, Chase pretended to swat a fly on his forehead, then licked his fingers as if eating the imaginary bug.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The book's Japanese translator was murdered, and others associated with it were attacked.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Because as Bam Adebayo attacked a second-quarter offensive rebound with seemingly nothing but open air space toward the rim, teammate Kel’el Ware had similar thoughts of contesting that same carom of that Davion Mitchell errant attempt.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Court documents say when the officers tried to leave, Catlett pounded on the hood and kicked the side door of their car.—
Ashley Grams,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Searchers looked in backyards, knocked on doors and pounded the pavement.—
Susan Young,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Making the scene even more a spectacle was the fact that Yam Yam was literally being manhandled and dragged out of the castle while doing so.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
-
After his holstered gun was discovered under his coat and removed while he was being manhandled, he was executed on the spot by one of the officers despite lying unarmed and defenseless on the ground.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The skier’s comments somehow came to the attention of the president, who lashed out at Hess on Truth Social on Sunday.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
8 Feb. 2026
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The president has lashed out at current Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over the Fed's slow-and-steady approach to interest rate cuts over the last year.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Investigators allege that Andrade and Rodriguez ambushed 6ix9ine’s mother at gunpoint in the garage of the rapper’s Wellington, Florida home.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said an ICE agent shot a Venezuelan national in the leg after agents were allegedly ambushed and attacked with a shovel.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Officials outlined a Preferential Trade Zone with price floors intended to stabilize markets battered by oversupply and price suppression.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
7 Feb. 2026
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She was also battered before the 2019 world championships but took bronze in downhill before going into a nearly six-year retirement.—
Andrew Dampf,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mauled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mauled. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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