as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
pummeled the mugger with her fists until help arrived
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Recent Examples of pummel
The older of the two, who was likely in his 20s or 30s, died as Mount Vesuvius pummeled the area with rock fragments called lapilli.
—
Margherita Bassi,
Popular Science,
18 June 2026
According to Israeli and American reports, over the past week, the president forced Israel to abort imminent retaliatory strikes on Iran and demanded that the country restrict its response to Hezbollah fire from Lebanon that has pummeled the Israeli north.
—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
The good news is that skies have since cleared, but for much of Wednesday morning and afternoon, residents in Streator, about 90 miles southwest of Chicago and already ravaged by an EF-3 tornado, were getting pummeled with rain.
—
Noel Brennan,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
The war also pummeled the region's aviation sector, with flights out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a global hub for air travel, reduced by two-thirds and those out of Doha, Qatar, by three-quarters, according to the IMF.
—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pummel
Margherita Bassi,
Popular Science,
18 June 2026
According to Israeli and American reports, over the past week, the president forced Israel to abort imminent retaliatory strikes on Iran and demanded that the country restrict its response to Hezbollah fire from Lebanon that has pummeled the Israeli north.
—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
The good news is that skies have since cleared, but for much of Wednesday morning and afternoon, residents in Streator, about 90 miles southwest of Chicago and already ravaged by an EF-3 tornado, were getting pummeled with rain.
—
Noel Brennan,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
The war also pummeled the region's aviation sector, with flights out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a global hub for air travel, reduced by two-thirds and those out of Doha, Qatar, by three-quarters, according to the IMF.
—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pummel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pummel
Verb
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In the end, none of them were fit to lick the boots of Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800.
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But the Carolinas have their own ways of making barbecue finger-licking.
Verb
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For loungability there’s a king bed, a hide-a-bed sofa, a fireplace and theater seats.
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When Fluffy failed to come out of hiding after 24 hours, Melissa Kirby and her husband began making and posting missing cat posters around their neighborhood.
Verb
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The heart-pounding encounter ended with the calf reunited with its mother, dramatic photos on a cellphone — and the couple continuing on to catch brook trout.
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Dansby Swanson hit three home runs, including a grand slam, Michael Conforto homered twice and the Chicago Cubs pounded the San Diego Padres 23-3 on Wednesday.
Verb
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Emanuel Sharp, Isaiah Stevens and Marquel Sutton led the way as the Kings rallied to beat the Golden State Warriors Blue 91-85 on Sunday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
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Egypt made its way to the round of 16 by beating Australia on penalties.
Verb
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Ukrainian officials have warned residents to guard against further strikes as Russia lashes out.
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Many on the right lashed out at conservative justices who joined the majority decision.
Verb
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Scotland carried the ball for 13 phases to enter Argentina's 22 and Hutchinson whipped an accurate long pass to Tuipulotu on the right wing who scored untouched.
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Olise kept his intentions hidden to the last, shaping up to cross the ball to the back post before sharply turning his hips and whipping his pass into the goalscorer’s path, breaking two defensive lines along the way.
Verb
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Les Bleus returned to play looking refreshed — practically pelting the Swedish goal with attempts, and yet somehow nothing went in.
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The explosion had balled me up, shoved me aside, and pelted me with hot stones.
Verb
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Some of them slapped strict limits on all gas stations; in others, gas station chains limited how much fuel could be bought.
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Actor Orlando Brown slapped recording artist Ray J in the face with a wad of cash.
Cite this Entry
“Pummel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pummel. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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