1
as in abuses
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 licks
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 mauls
Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
Martin mauls Arlington in 8-6A Arlington Martin got 20 points from Steven Reynolds III and 18 more from Levi Moore as the Warriors blasted Arlington 92-46 in a District 8-6A game on Thursday.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mauls
Verb
-
Under my watch, anyone who abuses wildlife in Florida will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Its leader, the president, abuses power, hurts the innocent, and mocks the dead before their families have even begun to grieve.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Then, Mitski licks up the blood on the girl’s finger.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
-
After the drill, Ruin rolls onto his back, then licks a reporter's nose.—
Megan Sauer
Tasia Jensen,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Botulism occurs when people eat food contaminated with botulinum toxin, a potent toxin that attacks the body’s nervous system.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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Global oil prices have surged as Iran tightens its grip on the Strait of Hormuz and attacks regional energy infrastructure, pushing Brent crude to around $107 a barrel, more than 45 percent higher than before the war began.—
Sam Stevenson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Irons pounds the drums like Bam-Bam smashing on two garbage-can lids.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
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Macron said France is expending diplomatic capital to ensure a return to calm and to allow for the Lebanese armed forces to assert themselves as Israel pounds Hezbollah positions.—
Sylvie Corbet,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There’s Xi Jinping mogging Bibi Netanyahu while deafeningly aggro phonk bludgeons away; hype montages paint Marx as history’s greatest theorist and pair Zohran Mamdani quotes with Playboi Carti Die Lit cuts.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When a dog repeatedly wags and whips its tail against hard surfaces, the tip can split open, bruise or break.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Benbrook whips Diamond Hill-Jarvis Benbrook stayed on pace for a playoff berth in District 8-4A as the Lady Bobcats thumped Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis 55-7.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Eckert instructed the dads and sons to run a few hundred yards with kettlebells, sledgehammers, and sandbags, then to smash open the sandbags.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Three thieves used sledgehammers to perform a smash-and-grab at a popular Sherman Oaks mall on Wednesday evening, stealing jewelry and watches before fleeing the scene, authorities said.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Seize Qeshm Island, where Iran hides its anti-ship missiles and mines.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
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The right edge hides a USB-C charging port behind a thick gasket.—
Mark Knapp,
PC Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mauls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mauls. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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