as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion
punch-drunk from having stayed up all night, she struggled through the exam
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Recent Examples of punch-drunk
Having given us a punch-drunk vision of romantic dilemmas in her masterpiece of a debut, Song now delivers a more practical, hangover-adjacent look at how the human need for relationships gets turned into a bespoke luxury item.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2025
Only the most punch-drunk partisan would give Republicans as much as a 50-50 chance of succeeding Gavin Newsom.
—Mark Barabak, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025
Trending There are those who will appreciate the punch-drunk sensation that accompanies watching Megalopolis and its constantly shifting, ever-curious omnivorousness.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2024
It’s better described as a series of springy volleys backward and forward through time—the movie ping-pongs between 2019 and 2006, with stops in between—that leave you feeling a little dizzy, even a bit punch-drunk.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
The notion that anyone might make a beeline to turn this punch-drunk nonsense into a new Statham franchise seems unlikely.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2024
What’s going on is that the movie is getting punch-drunk.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Mar. 2023
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2025
Only the most punch-drunk partisan would give Republicans as much as a 50-50 chance of succeeding Gavin Newsom.
—Mark Barabak, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025
Trending There are those who will appreciate the punch-drunk sensation that accompanies watching Megalopolis and its constantly shifting, ever-curious omnivorousness.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2024
It’s better described as a series of springy volleys backward and forward through time—the movie ping-pongs between 2019 and 2006, with stops in between—that leave you feeling a little dizzy, even a bit punch-drunk.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
The notion that anyone might make a beeline to turn this punch-drunk nonsense into a new Statham franchise seems unlikely.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2024
What’s going on is that the movie is getting punch-drunk.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch-drunk
Adjective
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The band played everything a little slower, and the songs drifted through the theatre with a dazed elegance.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
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The museum show did happen — though some of what’s in it is fabricated, including a few fake ads for Apple and Absolut Vodka that the band very much did not shoot — but everyone in attendance seems a little dazed and confused about it, including the band.—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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Tornado is a bewildered Japanese girl (played by pop singer Kôki) who fights off a horde of white men, thieving gold vagabonds who represent both Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Celtic ancestry.—
Armond White,
National Review,
4 June 2025
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After staying at the shelter, Caboose eventually underwent surgery to get spayed and get their hernia repaired, but that's when doctors found something that left them bewildered.—
Nicholas Rice,
People.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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The Justice Department similarly told the Supreme Court that some lower courts are confused about how to evaluate multiple IQ tests under Supreme Court rules for what counts as cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
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It’s become the subject of much conversation at Variety, and Erickson is similarly confused.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Signs of dehydration, including: dry mouth and throat, infrequent peeing and feeling dizzy when standing up.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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Spinning is what dizzy people do, and Lopez is not that.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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The law, which Governor Josh Shapiro signed last year, aims to reduce distracted driving incidents throughout the state.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 June 2025
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After Klinghoffer entered his plea, a prosecutor read a statement that warned against distracted driving.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punch-drunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch-drunk. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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