bully 1 of 3

bully

2 of 3

noun

bully

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word bully different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of bully are browbeat, bulldoze, cow, and intimidate. While all these words mean "to frighten into submission," bully implies intimidation through threats, insults, or aggressive behavior.

bullied into giving up their lunch money

When could browbeat be used to replace bully?

While the synonyms browbeat and bully are close in meaning, browbeat implies a cowing through arrogant, scornful, or contemptuous treatment.

browbeat the witness into a contradiction

In what contexts can bulldoze take the place of bully?

In some situations, the words bulldoze and bully are roughly equivalent. However, bulldoze implies an intimidating or an overcoming of resistance usually by urgings, demands, or threats.

bulldozed the city council into approving the plan

When might cow be a better fit than bully?

The synonyms cow and bully are sometimes interchangeable, but cow implies reduction to a state where the spirit is broken or all courage is lost.

not at all cowed by the odds against making it in show business

When is it sensible to use intimidate instead of bully?

The words intimidate and bully can be used in similar contexts, but intimidate implies inducing fear or a sense of inferiority into another.

intimidated by so many other bright freshmen

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 bully
Noun
When the boy confronted one of the bullies about it, that boy pushed Griffin, and Griffin swung his leg to kick the boy. Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 She’s played by Brie Larson as aggressive and dauntingly judgmental — a bit of a bully. Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 June 2025
Verb
But, they did get bullied into signing Devers by the memory of deals gone wrong, players gone too soon, and fans’ trust essentially just gone. Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025 The Detroit Pistons did it year after year, deploying a defensive scheme that involved trapping him over and over, shoving him through screens, bullying him through picks, sending two or three bodies on him, and knocking him off balance, off his shot, off his cool. Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 22 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for bully
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bully
Adjective
  • Dropping that grenade on the audience with so little time left to feel the impact does Jill little justice, but DeWitt does, in fairness, invest great pathos in her.
    Andy Crump, Time, 20 July 2025
  • This is a place where costumes do a lot of heavy lifting, and Cady is a great example, her wardrobe shows us what is happening to her inside.
    Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
Noun
  • According to reporting from the Clermont Sun, Fike tweeted ‘#thug the new n word’ in April 2015 and ‘Thug life = thug treatment = no pity from me’ in July 2019.
    James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 July 2025
  • These scenes evoke images of government thugs in violent regimes disappearing opponents.
    Christy Lopez Guest, Mercury News, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • Overstreet received a $2,700 check from the Ocala Police Department for his nonprofit in 2022, during the same timeframe when he was accused of abusing the teen girl, records show.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
  • Under our nation's laws, our government has the authority to revoke your green card if our laws are broken and abused.
    Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • But moving from being a casual fan into understanding the intricacies of tennis can be intimidating.
    Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 10 July 2025
  • Alfredo Romero-Cortez, 48, was arrested and charged with aggravated rape, assault and battery on a household member, assault with a dangerous weapon, and intimidating a witness.
    Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 8 July 2025
Adjective
  • The Packers failed to build on their terrific finish to the 2023 campaign, settled for the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, and lost a Wild Card game to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.
    Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
  • Smartphone Deals An ultra-bright screen, terrific build quality, and powerful AI tools made the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL a winner in our book, and our expert gave it an excellent rating in our review.
    Jade Chung-Lee, PC Magazine, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • Trump appointed Bondi as attorney general after numerous reports suggested the president wanted a loyalist who would do his bidding and seek retribution against his enemies, after Trump faced pushback in his first term from previous attorneys general like William Barr.
    Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
  • Still, fun enemy designs – such as one pictured above based on the Hydnellum peckii (bleeding tooth fungus) – already started to come together.
    Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • Serial killers with a code, far-future space operas, superheroes doing battle with dastardly villains.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
  • Matthias Schoenaerts signed on as the film's villain, Krem of the Yellow Hills, in September 2024, per Deadline, and a few months later, Jason Momoa confirmed his casting as the violent intergalactic bounty hunter, Lobo.
    Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • Therefore, in the face of employer abuse, one of the few remaining remedies available to mistreated workers is facing the terrifying prospect of striking in defense of their rights.
    Nick Gauthier, Hartford Courant, 7 July 2025
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center has been sued for the third time in two years by former employees accusing the VUMC chief medical officer of mistreating them.
    Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bully. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

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