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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of punch out
Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
In a closeout opportunity for the defending champions, Shohei Ohtani took the mound for LA and punched out 10 batters across six-plus scoreless innings of work.
—Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
The lefty was able to work his way out of trouble each time, first striking out Ozuna to end the third before getting a pair of punch-outs to end the fourth after initially putting two on with nobody out.
—Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch out
Verb
Outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson later had the game-clinching takeaway late in the fourth quarter after the Patriots had taken the lead, punching out the ball after a catch by Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers that cornerback Marcus Jones recovered.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
In a closeout opportunity for the defending champions, Shohei Ohtani took the mound for LA and punched out 10 batters across six-plus scoreless innings of work.
—Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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
The lefty was able to work his way out of trouble each time, first striking out Ozuna to end the third before getting a pair of punch-outs to end the fourth after initially putting two on with nobody out.
—Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch out
Verb
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Mitch West, meanwhile, was licking his wounds on Monday night, when snow still hadn’t touched down in his region of South Carolina.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
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England’s Test team are still licking their wounds after their humbling Down Under.—
Sam Dalling,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The confrontation turned into a fistfight, and as her daughter was walking back into their house, someone shot her in the back.—
Joy Benedict,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
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The pursuers yelled taunts, threw bottles, and expected the two women to settle their differences with a fistfight, according to court records.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Police also found marijuana in a backpack, and one of the suspects tried to conceal his weapon by taking it out of his waistband and hiding it under the car seat, the release states.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Feb. 2026
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That's why the Club digs into a level of detail others might want to hide.—
,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But that gives us a different look and the versatility of being able to play the two of them together and pound the glass on both ends is a weapon for us.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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That means sneakers, ideally a pair that’s durable enough to withstand pounding the pavements, will be essential to your roster of footwear.—
Natalie Hammond,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Cheap drinks soften emotional blows.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
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But researchers worry that repeated, less dramatic blows, such as heading the ball, can also have long-term effects; there is evidence that players who regularly head the ball are at greater risk of dementia than those, such as goalkeepers, who do not.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 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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Whether the game is a blowout or comes down to a fateful goal-line stand, loyalists of one team may leap for joy, while others might lash out in anger, pummeling their TV sets or sinking into a deep postgame funk.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 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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It’s inspired by a French silk pie, but without any eggs to whip.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
12 Feb. 2026
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For season 1 of The Boss, InStyle Editor in Chief Sally Holmes taps Julia Fox (Uncut Gems, Him, The Moment) as the Temporary-Permanent Ambassador of Slayage in an effort to whip the InStyle team’s style into shape ahead of New York Fashion Week.—
InStyle Editors,
InStyle,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punch out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch%20out. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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