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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as in to bludgeon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cudgel
John Towfighi, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025
Similarly, Tesla could face comparable pressure in the future if Beijing wants to use Musk as a cudgel to influence policy in the Trump administration.
—Linggong Kong, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
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
Noun
Tariffs are considered by many economists a political cudgel — sometimes used in a trade war — and not an efficient framework for international trade.
—John Towfighi, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025
Similarly, Tesla could face comparable pressure in the future if Beijing wants to use Musk as a cudgel to influence policy in the Trump administration.
—Linggong Kong, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
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
Noun
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Designers are treating them as conversation pieces to bring more texture, proportion, and detail into a room—we’re seeing bold silhouettes, statement-making legs, faceted fronts that play with light and shadow, and materials ranging from earthy mango wood to coastal cane.—
Bailey Berg,
Architectural Digest,
4 Apr. 2025
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Elaborate breads are baked into the shapes of carpenter’s tools, ladders, and canes, which symbolize Joseph’s staff, while bread crumbs are scattered to represent sawdust.—
Cindy Salvato,
Saveur,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Loading your audio article Connecticut officials are offering a $50,000 reward in exchange for information on a cold case involving the death of a woman who was found bludgeoned outside a home in Madison 15 years ago.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2025
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The Lakers outscored the Bulls 60-46 in the paint, bolstered by a strong performance from center Jaxson Hayes and the bludgeoning presence of James. 4.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Cardoso picked up the baton from opening chef Ed Tinoco last summer, and has not looked back.—
Kristin L. Wolfe,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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One police officer used a speaker to order protesters to move onto the sidewalk as other officers stood in the street, batons in hand.—
Katie Langford,
The Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Kerry Carpenter clouted a key home run for the Detroit Tigers and Cole Ragans has pitched two terrific games for the Kansas City Royals among younger players stepping up.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes,
9 Oct. 2024
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Not since the former Yankee slugger clouted three home runs in a World Series game against the Dodgers in 1977 has Jackson done more with a pitch in the strike zone.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2024
Verb
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China assails Trump’s new tariffs and vows retaliation.—
Anupreeta Das,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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And a victory in the sixth-largest state would continue to provide him a credible, high-profile platform from which to assail the actions of the Trump administration nationally in the run-up to the 2028 presidential election.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Plus, the first year of having a child brings so much change that some moms are tempted to chop their hair off to make things easier.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
8 Apr. 2025
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Be sure to chop the lemon zest finely and remove any seeds that may fall out of the lemons when juicing.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Pennsylvania’s drift to the right was the fourth largest of the seven, smack in the middle.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
4 Apr. 2025
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Still, the Yankees managed to make things interesting in the ninth inning, as Volpe smacked a three-run homer off Arizona lefty A.J. Puk to cut the deficit to one.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Right now, Trump and Congress could whack Medicaid and give Newsom a solid rationale for cutting way back on healthcare for undocumented Californians.—
George Skelton,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2025
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Alas, the thick-headed goon that Vito sends to whack Frank in the lobby of his lux Manhattan apartment building (a swollen and unrecognizable Cosmo Jarvis as the aptly named Vincent Gigante) fails to follow through with a double-tap, and Frank survives with a scratch to the head.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cudgel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cudgel. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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