cudgel
noun
\
Definition of cudgel
(Entry 1 of 2)
cudgel
verb
, ˈkə-jə- \
Definition of cudgel (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms for cudgel
Synonyms: Noun
bastinado (or bastinade), bat, baton, billy, billy club, bludgeon, cane, club, nightstick, rod, rung [Scottish], sap, shillelagh (also shillalah), staff, truncheon, waddy [Australian]
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Examples of cudgel in a Sentence
Noun
a farmer armed with a cudgel drove us off his landRecent Examples on the Web: Noun
Critics argue this provision nestled in House Bill 2756 creates a financial cudgel with which the state can hit cities that raise the minimum wage and discourage other communities from doing the same. — Andrew Oxford, azcentral, "New law would make Arizona cities pay for raising the minimum wage," 19 Aug. 2019 Unfortunately, Ireland and the EU have used the border question as a cudgel against London, insisting the backstop must stay in any withdrawal deal, and have used the specter of The Troubles to raise doubts even in Washington. — Chris Gavin, National Review, "Can the U.S. Help the Post-Brexit U.K.?," 13 Aug. 2019 The problem: this president, who has wielded the politics of race as a political cudgel, is stoking it. — NBC News, "Meet the Press - August 11, 2019," 11 Aug. 2019 Trump has revived the use of trade as a political cudgel, one of the things the WTO was specifically created to stop. — Charlie Campbell / Beijing, Time, "The U.S.-China Trade War Is Steering the World Toward Crisis and There Is No Easy Retreat," 7 Aug. 2019 There are few places where the topic is more contentious than in Wisconsin, a swing state where it has been used as a cudgel against Democrats, even in local races for elected positions with no role in federal immigration policy. — Stephanie Saul, New York Times, "In Wisconsin Swing District, a Range of Views on Immigration," 31 July 2019 Now, the Elysian Valley artist has obtained that cudgel. — Los Angeles Times, "This activist bought 4.5 acres of the L.A. River just to have a stake in its revitalization," 5 Aug. 2019 Union leaders have launched a frontal assault on Garcetti’s sweeping environmental plan — and are using homelessness as a cudgel. — Sammy Roth, latimes.com, "Those ads ripping Garcetti on homelessness? They’re about fighting his Green New Deal," 14 July 2019 Democrats have used Trump’s rejection of climate science as a cudgel in the early stages of the presidential campaign. — Scott Waldman, Scientific American, "In Environment Speech, Trump Fails to Mention Climate Change," 9 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Yet doing away with the government’s critic-cudgelling arsenal should be a much higher priority. — The Economist, "Malaysia’s government should scrap repressive laws while it still can," 20 July 2019 In the winter of 1775-76, Dunbar didn’t stand a chance against the 40 patriots in Farmington, Conn., who cudgeled him nearly to death near his home. — Caitlin Fitz, WSJ, "Lives Lost for Their Countries," 11 July 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cudgel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for cudgel
cudgel
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of cudgel (Entry 2 of 2)
See the full definition for cudgel in the English Language Learners Dictionary
cudgel
noun
\
Kids Definition of cudgel
(Entry 1 of 2)
cudgel
verbKids Definition of cudgel (Entry 2 of 2)
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