bludgeon
noun
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Definition of bludgeon
(Entry 1 of 2)
bludgeon
verbDefinition of bludgeon (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms for bludgeon
Synonyms: Noun
bastinado (or bastinade), bat, baton, billy, billy club, cane, club, cudgel, nightstick, rod, rung [Scottish], sap, shillelagh (also shillalah), staff, truncheon, waddy [Australian]
Synonyms: Verb
bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bob, bonk, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, crack, hammer, hit, knock, nail, paste, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, swat, swipe, tag, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, zap
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Examples of bludgeon in a Sentence
Noun
guards armed with bludgeons roamed the compoundVerb
The victim was bludgeoned to death with a hammer. bludgeoned the door with an iron bar in a senseless act of vandalism
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Ducks coach Mario Cristobal has made no secret of his desire to build an SEC-style team in Eugene, one that bludgeons opponents, that dominates the line of scrimmage, that is physically and mentally tougher than its foe. — Jon Wilner, The Denver Post, "Pac-12 football rewind: Oregon buckles in the fourth, USC tries to lose but fails, Washington rolls and injuries mount," 1 Sep. 2019 Ducks coach Mario Cristobal has made no secret of his desire to build an SEC-style team in Eugene, one that bludgeons opponents, that dominates the line of scrimmage, that is physically and mentally tougher than its foe. — Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, "Saturday Night Five: Oregon buckles in the fourth, USC tries to lose but fails, Washington rolls and injuries mount," 1 Sep. 2019 Meantime the director goes at the social satire with a bludgeon, not a rapier, so that the insufferably progressive liberal smugness, embodied in the Seattle private school Bee attends, grows tiresome. — Michael Phillips, Twin Cities, "‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’: A brilliant, troubled architect becomes a bit of a bore," 16 Aug. 2019 Meantime the director goes at the social satire with a bludgeon, not a rapier, so that the insufferably progressive liberal smugness, embodied in the Seattle private school Bee attends, grows tiresome. — Michael Phillips, Twin Cities, "‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’: A brilliant, troubled architect becomes a bit of a bore," 16 Aug. 2019 Meantime the director goes at the social satire with a bludgeon, not a rapier, so that the insufferably progressive liberal smugness, embodied in the Seattle private school Bee attends, grows tiresome. — Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, "‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’ review: Richard Linklater’s latest, starring Cate Blanchett, is a bit of a bore," 15 Aug. 2019 The El Paso massacre, carried out by a white nationalist waging a lunatic war against Hispanic immigration, is being used as a bludgeon against Trump, and immigration restriction more broadly. — Rich Lowry, National Review, "Immigration Restriction Is Not Hate," 9 Aug. 2019 Trump has increasingly relied on tariffs as a bludgeon to try to force other nations to bend to his will, dismissing warnings, including from fellow Republicans, about the likely impacts on American manufacturers and consumers. — Jill Colvin, Time, "Trump Sees Progress in Mexico Talks But 'Not Nearly Enough' to Halt Tariffs," 7 June 2019 Today, left-wing activists use these terms as bludgeons to intimidate those who disagree with them from entering the dialogue at all. — Fox News, "Laura Ingraham announces new segment 'Defending the First'," 10 Apr. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
His body was found bludgeoned at a golf course with leaves and dirt stuffed down his throat. — Fox News, "Serial killer who targeted gay men executed in Florida after eating hardy last meal," 23 Aug. 2019 At the time she was bludgeoned and stabbed to death, the Highland Beach woman was planning to retire from the part-time position at the Lu Shay store, 3175 S. Federal Highway. — Marc Freeman, sun-sentinel.com, "‘Blood can tell a compelling story, even 21 years later.’ Trial begins in cold-case murder.," 20 Aug. 2019 The 26-year-old actress, Sebring and three others were bludgeoned, shot and stabbed scores of times. — al, "Alabama born celebrity hairdresser died defending Sharon Tate from Manson Family," 9 Aug. 2019 The 26-year-old actress and four friends were bludgeoned, shot and stabbed scores of times. — Washington Post, "Manson prosecutor: Keep them all locked up forever," 7 Aug. 2019 The 26-year-old actress and four friends were bludgeoned, shot and stabbed scores of times. — John Rogers, The Denver Post, "Manson prosecutor: Keep them all locked up forever," 6 Aug. 2019 Gomm was bludgeoned to death while working in the prison’s industry building on July 18, 2018. — Katrina Pross, Twin Cities, "Memorial service to be held for slain MN corrections officer on one-year anniversary," 15 July 2019 When members of the Harvard class of 2004 were juniors in high school, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay man from Wyoming, was bludgeoned, tied to a fence post and left to die in a murder that shocked the nation’s conscience. — Jeremy W. Peters, New York Times, "Pete Buttigieg’s Life in the Closet," 14 July 2019 In 2012, Cukor’s father, Peter Cukor, was bludgeoned to death with a ceramic pot in front of his Berkeley hills home after confronting Daniel Dewitt, an Alameda man with a history of mental illness. — Otis R. Taylor Jr., SFChronicle.com, "Calling police on black people over petty matters: There’s a reason these videos go viral," 11 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bludgeon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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