as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
you should take a course in anger management—you can't go around punching out people
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in fistfight
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of punch out
ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Pérez looked in control almost immediately, striking out Garrett Mitchell to begin the game and punching out five through his first three innings.
—Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
But back in the 2010s, Kershaw was a dominant strikeout pitcher who recorded at least 200 punch-outs in a season seven times during the ten-year span from 2010 to 2019.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch out
Verb
Alex tried to punch out from a awkward lie, but hit another tree, and the ball came to rest on the edge of the cart path, still 209 yards away.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Pérez looked in control almost immediately, striking out Garrett Mitchell to begin the game and punching out five through his first three innings.
—Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
Noun
The two of them flirt, but of course the affair is not consummated, and Sergeant Sullivan pits them against each other in a punch-out exercise.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
But back in the 2010s, Kershaw was a dominant strikeout pitcher who recorded at least 200 punch-outs in a season seven times during the ten-year span from 2010 to 2019.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch out
Verb
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The parallels between Ines’ dilemma and that of a nation being asked to lick its wounds in silence — in the name of moving on from past miseries — are present but elusive.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
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At one point A’zion licks the digitally de-aged Mick Jagger’s face.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Noun
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In Milan, Italy, a fistfight erupted.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
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The series ends with Dean and Hunter – the Briar hockey new starting line – in a fistfight, paving the way for Season 2 (which has already been green-lit).—
Jennifer McClellan,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Perhaps the best example of that is how much Ware has been utilized in zone defense, an approach that some might contend is hiding the 2024 first-round pick from the direct challenges of his position.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
23 May 2026
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Metal-poor stars are often associated with ancient dwarf galaxies, which the Milky Way might have consumed over time to grow to its current massive state — and remnants of these cosmic meals might be hiding deep within the galaxy.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Ukraine has been pounding Russian oil facilities in an effort to deny Moscow funding for its invasion.—
Dan Bashakov,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
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Rain pounds down in a stinging curtain.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
Noun
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The system, called WhaleSpotter, scans the bay around the clock for whale blows and heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away, alerting mariners to slow down or reroute when whales are nearby.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
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While the killing dealt one of the biggest blows to ISIS’s global network in years, disrupting operations in northeastern Nigeria, the terror group's top leader, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, remains at large as Africa becomes the movement's global epicenter.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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When the war began, a cornered Iran lashed out by attacking its neighbors in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a 45-year-old coalition of energy-rich Arab monarchies including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
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Harris also shows us the burn scars that ripple up Racine’s arm and across Anaia’s face, textured skin that makes strangers blanch, to which Racine lashes out defensively.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
Noun
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The Yankees started their slugfest in style against the Rays, as Judge’s big fly traveled 429 feet to the batter’s eye at Steinbrenner Field.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
20 Aug. 2025
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Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Jack Westover Notes: It’s been a slow, ugly slugfest among the backup tight ends to see who can win the No. 3 job.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In baseball news, Screencaps the III got his very first legitimate hit of the season by lacing one over the second baseman's head last night with winds whipping 20-25 mph off Lake Erie.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
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When Djena neglected to do a chore, Denise would use a belt or a power cord to whip Djena, leaving her covered in bruises.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punch out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch%20out. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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