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
  • Last week, Ukraine ran out of Patriot interceptors – one of the few defensive weapons capable of knocking down a ballistic missile – leaving it far more vulnerable to Russian attacks.
    — Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • As a nation, the United States is moving toward knocking down longstanding walls separating religion and government, often ruling in favor of expanding the rights of religious groups.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of knocking down
Verb
  • These higher-than-usual high tides are supercharged by winds blowing onshore, pushing more seawater on land.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • For Jeffries to get a chance to take the speaker’s gavel, Democrats must attain a net gain of three seats, pushing their numbers to at least 218 -- a simple majority.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of pushing
Verb
  • In an already tenuous industry marked by razor-thin margins, high rents and increasing costs for goods and labor, some of the Southland’s favorite beach bars and restaurants are dumping out buckets of water this month.
    — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Lily celebrated a couple of days later by hopping on Instagram and dumping out plenty of photos from the event.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of dumping
Verb
  • He was charged Tuesday night with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon for stabbing Nobles, cops said.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Continue reading … HATE PROBE — NYC rabbi stabbing suspect accused of attacking another Jewish man hours earlier.
    — , FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of stabbing
Verb
  • On May 14, 2022, Kirkman drove to the home of Ortega and Amaya before kicking down their door and shooting the couple, Payette County Prosecutor Mike Duke said in court, the Statesman previously reported.
    — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Chun-Li has this crazy fight sequence with three of her Interpol bosses, and then kicking [Kyle Mooney’s] Marvin in the balls was the end of that day.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of kicking
Verb
  • In 2023, the company imposed a $10 price hike in high-demand areas, bringing the fee to $120 per month, while slashing costs in areas with ample capacity.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The government is also negotiating next year's budget with parliament, with an aim of slashing spending to bring down the country's deficit.
    — Sean Conlon,Justina Lee,Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of slashing
Verb
  • All of that would be bad enough if the Mamdani administration at least had a plan for turning around our flailing public school system.
    — Ciara Jackson, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Even with its offense flailing, the Trojans somehow cobbled together a touchdown drive in the second quarter, thanks to three Wisconsin penalties, all of which handed them first downs.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of flailing
Verb
  • The celebrities sucked up a lot of air, and so the show leaned in, switching to all-celebrity casts.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Anthropic’s launch of Claude Duet may be partly defensive, giving Claude Pro and Max users a way to hand off more of their daily tasks without switching to a rival’s assistant.
    — Wen Shao, Fortune, 23 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 2026.

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