cudgel 1 of 2

noun

ˈkə-jəl How to pronounce cudgel (audio)
Definition of cudgelnext
as in cane
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment a farmer armed with a cudgel drove us off his land

Synonyms & Similar Words

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cudgel

2 of 2

verb

as in to bludgeon

Related Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cudgel
Noun
The sports question has become a political cudgel for Republicans with an eye on growing divisions among Democrats over stances on certain transgender issues that polls show are unpopular with a majority of voters. — Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2026 Colleges are buffeted between federal cudgels, declining public trust, and a highly vulnerable business model, even at institutions with enviable endowments. — Ann Kirschner, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
Hitler exploited his 37% to gridlock legislative processes, to cudgel or crush the political opposition, and ultimately to undermine the country’s democratic structures. — Timothy Ryback, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024 Before long, fairs had such attractions as cudgelling bouts, bearbaiting, and something called gouging. — Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023 See All Example Sentences for cudgel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cudgel
  1. cane
  2. bludgeon
  3. baton
  4. clout
  5. assail
  6. chop
  7. smack
  8. whack
Noun
  • Aceh’s Sharia court ordered the two people to be whipped with a rattan cane 21 times each for kissing without being married.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Snappers, snakes, toy pistols with caps and toy canes with caps are the only fireworks allowed.
    — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026
Definition of cane
Verb
  • Olivia launches her second escape by bludgeoning one of her captors with a metal pipe, grabbing his gun, and sprinting toward the red prison door.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
  • Glossip was convicted and sentenced to death in the killing of his former boss, Barry Van Treese, who owned the Oklahoma City motel where Glossip worked and died after being bludgeoned with a baseball bat, according to court filings.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 24 June 2026
Definition of bludgeon
Noun
  • The officers hit him with a baton and shocked him seven times.
    — Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
  • Somebody had dropped the baton.
    — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of baton
Verb
  • Holder clouted Chameera for three sixes in four deliveries to end the 19th and leave West Indies needing six runs for victory.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 June 2026
  • The 'merch hauls' on social media are awful, the desperate pathetic influencers trying to clout chase using the Masters are all awful.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
Definition of clout
Verb
  • It was passed following the signing of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which was implemented during the administration of then-President Barack Obama — an agreement Trump repeatedly assailed before pulling out of it in 2018.
    — Daniel Flatley, Fortune, 28 June 2026
  • Lander assailed Goldman for not being tough enough on Israel over its military action against Palestinians.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 June 2026
Definition of assail
Verb
  • The other side is smooth and great for prep work like chopping vegetables.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 1 July 2026
  • Recipe information Chimichurri and Assembly Place 1 small bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped, 4 lb.
    — Inés Anguiano, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
Definition of chop
Verb
  • Moniak smacked a 424-foot homer to right-center with one down in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
  • Kara and Ruthye figure out the Brigands are trafficking young women for dastardly purposes, giving them yet another reason to smack some dudes around.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 24 June 2026
Definition of smack
Verb
  • Pop, a Romanian, was rolling through another service game when Bobker whacked an easy backhand beyond the baseline.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • The experience was not entirely dissimilar to getting whacked in the skull.
    — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Definition of whack

Phrases Containing cudgel

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cuddy
cudgel
cudgeled
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Cite this Entry

“Cudgel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cudgel. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cudgel

Nglish: Translation of cudgel for Spanish Speakers

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