batter

verb

ˈba-tər How to pronounce batter (audio)
Definition of batternext
1
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly children battered the piñata until it broke open

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to bomb
to use bombs or artillery against planes battered the city for weeks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb batter contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of batter are cripple, maim, mangle, and mutilate. While all these words mean "to injure so severely as to cause lasting damage," batter implies a series of blows that bruise deeply, deform, or mutilate.

an old ship battered by fierce storms

When is cripple a more appropriate choice than batter?

The synonyms cripple and batter are sometimes interchangeable, but cripple implies the loss or serious impairment of an arm or leg.

crippled for life in an accident

When can maim be used instead of batter?

While in some cases nearly identical to batter, maim implies the loss or injury of a bodily member through violence.

maimed by a shark

When is it sensible to use mangle instead of batter?

In some situations, the words mangle and batter are roughly equivalent. However, mangle implies a tearing or crushing that leaves deep wounds.

a soldier's leg mangled by shrapnel

In what contexts can mutilate take the place of batter?

Although the words mutilate and batter have much in common, mutilate implies the cutting off or removal of an essential part of a person or thing thereby impairing its completeness, beauty, or function.

a tree mutilated by inept pruning

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 batter As massive waves battered the ship to pieces, an Indigenous Australian man on land attempted to swim a rope out to the ship to save the captain but just couldn’t make it in the surge, Hunter recounted. —Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 16 May 2025 One complicating factor in these predictions is the fluctuating puffiness of Earth’s atmosphere, which can swell or shrink based on how much it’s being battered by solar wind and other space weather events. —Lee Billings, Scientific American, 7 May 2025 The ongoing hunger is threatening Gaza’s population, already battered by 19 months of war. —Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025 The upward movement was a welcome change for shareholders, as the stock has fallen 17% in 2025 to date, battered by Donald Trump’s tariffs and other forces. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for batter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for batter
  1. lick
  2. bomb
  3. pound
  4. shell
  5. lash
  6. bat
  7. whip
  8. hide
Verb
  • But Fahy, Alcock, and director Nicole Kassell are also very good at their jobs, and so even downright bizarre moments like Simone chewing Michaela’s used gum or Devon randomly licking a landscaper’s neck wind up making a strange sort of sense.
    — Caroline Framke, Vulture, 22 May 2025
  • Jose shrugs, pleads with her to not lick anyone at the inn, and leaves.
    — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025
Definition of lick
Verb
  • None of it happens if Torre doesn’t bomb the LSAT his senior year of college.
    — Zak Keefer, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • When the Japanese military bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Toguri was trapped with no identification to secure a passage home.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
Definition of bomb
Verb
  • Thirty minutes later, Combs was pounding on the apartment door with a hammer, Morgan said.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 20 May 2025
  • The creek is pounding the foundation of his cottage and seeping inside.
    — Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 19 May 2025
Definition of pound
Verb
  • On Sunday, Russia shelled residential neighborhoods of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kherson, killing a 75-year-old woman and injuring two other people, the city council posted on the Telegram messaging site.
    — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 19 May 2025
  • Rajab and her family had been fleeing Gaza City when their vehicle was shelled, killing her uncle, aunt and three cousins.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 13 May 2025
Definition of shell
Verb
  • In a second Memorial Day social media post, Trump focused largely on lashing out at federal judges and perceived political opponents.
    — Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 26 May 2025
  • President Donald Trump lashed out at Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing to attack Ukraine while talks are ongoing between the two countries to find an end to the ongoing conflict.
    — Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025
Definition of lash
Verb
  • Bohm has not batted higher than sixth since April 9.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 26 May 2025
  • Barcelona had chances of its own – the Spanish team took 14 shots in the second half alone – but each effort bounced off the woodwork, narrowly missed the goal or was batted away by Daphne van Domselaar.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 25 May 2025
Definition of bat
Verb
  • The Clippers were playing in Houston and the Clippers were whipping the Rockets’ ass.
    — Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 29 May 2025
  • This small kitchen appliance has a variable speed trigger switch to make blending, pureeing, frothing, whipping and chopping as easy as pressing a button.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2025
Definition of whip
Verb
  • At 19, Johnson married his wife Daphne and initially, was able to hide his drug use from her, the Johnson's clemency petition said.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • Enhanced measurement capabilities: Amazon continues investing in Amazon Marketing Cloud with new UI templates and simplified queries, suggesting a commitment to transparency rather than hiding attribution.
    — Kiri Masters, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Definition of hide

Browse Nearby Words

battens (down)
batter
battered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Batter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/batter. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on batter

Nglish: Translation of batter for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about batter

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