sucker punching

verb

present participle of sucker punch
as in knocking down

Related Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucker punching
  1. knocking down
  2. pushing
  3. dumping
  4. stabbing
  5. kicking
  6. slashing
  7. flailing
  8. switching
Verb
  • At least 2,295 people have died and another 11,267 were injured from the pair of earthquakes that struck on June 24, knocking down buildings and sending residents racing into the street, Venezuelan lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said Wednesday.
    — Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • Frazier won by unanimous decision after knocking down Ali in Round 15.
    — Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of knocking down
Verb
  • The abdomen may significantly protrude, pushing the diaphragm upward and making breathing more difficult.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Basically, the silicone cup creates suction around the area in question and you’re given a massage via pulling instead of pushing.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026
Definition of pushing
Verb
  • Achiuwa had a good run at the end of the season as the Kings were dumping games left and right.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 1 July 2026
  • The leaks are dumping gallons upon gallons of wastewater into the Merrimack River.
    — Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 30 June 2026
Definition of dumping
Verb
  • The film centers on a New York murder trial where a teenage boy is accused of stabbing his abusive dad and a jury has the kid's fate in their hands.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • In one ⁠instance, the suspect is accused ​of personally taking part in the killing by stabbing a victim in the chest with a knife, the prosecutors said.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 1 July 2026
Definition of stabbing
Verb
  • My little guy went from kicking the light-up piano with his tiny tootsies to sitting up and wailing away.
    — Melissa Willets, Parents, 1 July 2026
  • Rollins referenced The Shield kicking the old generation to the curb while creating the greatest generation in the history of this industry.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of kicking
Verb
  • Then Ferrari’s team reboots the underlying technology—centralizing server costs, cleaning up sprawling codebases—while slashing costs.
    — Chris Dobstaff, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Higgins said her solution is to speed up permitting by slashing red tape — both for these types of large, city projects and for home and business owners trying to install resilient upgrades.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Definition of slashing
Verb
  • But the show still makes its point that the world of this play has narcissistic aggressors and flailing victims, and those who fall into both of those categories.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
  • Their final side battle was ferocious and flailing.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 22 June 2026
Definition of flailing
Verb
  • Fallout from the mission includes NASA adjusting Boeing’s original contract, switching up its next flight to be uncrewed to make sure the leak and thruster issues are fixed without risking human passengers.
    — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 July 2026
  • Immediately switching it from 80 degrees to 68 won’t cool the house quicker and can shock your HVAC system.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 July 2026
Definition of switching
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

sucker punches
sucker punching
suckers
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Cite this Entry

“Sucker punching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucker%20punching. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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