variants
also shillalah
as in cane
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
the bartender in the Irish pub keeps a shillelagh behind the bar just in case there's trouble
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shillelagh
The original shillelagh was retired with a new one introduced in 1997.
—
Tom Layberger, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
There are fleas and chamber pots and thumbed noses and a St. Patrick’s Day picnic that — hold on to your shillelagh!
—Dan Barry, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024
Or this:Youu can't pack a shillelagh in your carry-on: TSA finds cudgel at Idaho airport Meg Foster, a justice fellow at Georgetown University's Center on Privacy and Technology, said there are concerns about bias within the algorithms of various facial recognition technologies.
—Rebecca Santana and Rick Gentilo, USA TODAY, 15 May 2023
Air travelers, take note: Be sure to keep your guns and your knives and shillelaghs – and your cats for that matter – out of your carry-ons.
—Forrest Brown, CNN, 19 Apr. 2023
In contemporary times, some people study bataireacht, a type of Irish martial art, using the shillelagh.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2023
Owusu Koramoah loved it when former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly hoisted the jeweled shillelagh in the locker room when the Irish would beat USC.
—Jimmy Watkins, cleveland, 9 Dec. 2022
The shillelagh, a tall walking stick, was also a protection against large animals.
—Brenda Yenke, cleveland, 24 Mar. 2022
Alabama played a competitive first half of its NCAA tournament opener Friday against Notre Dame, but then took a whack from the Fighting Irish’s shillelagh in the second half to end its season with a 78-64 loss.
—Mike Rodak | [email protected], al, 18 Mar. 2022
Tom Layberger, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
There are fleas and chamber pots and thumbed noses and a St. Patrick’s Day picnic that — hold on to your shillelagh!
—Dan Barry, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024
Or this:Youu can't pack a shillelagh in your carry-on: TSA finds cudgel at Idaho airport Meg Foster, a justice fellow at Georgetown University's Center on Privacy and Technology, said there are concerns about bias within the algorithms of various facial recognition technologies.
—Rebecca Santana and Rick Gentilo, USA TODAY, 15 May 2023
Air travelers, take note: Be sure to keep your guns and your knives and shillelaghs – and your cats for that matter – out of your carry-ons.
—Forrest Brown, CNN, 19 Apr. 2023
In contemporary times, some people study bataireacht, a type of Irish martial art, using the shillelagh.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2023
Owusu Koramoah loved it when former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly hoisted the jeweled shillelagh in the locker room when the Irish would beat USC.
—Jimmy Watkins, cleveland, 9 Dec. 2022
The shillelagh, a tall walking stick, was also a protection against large animals.
—Brenda Yenke, cleveland, 24 Mar. 2022
Alabama played a competitive first half of its NCAA tournament opener Friday against Notre Dame, but then took a whack from the Fighting Irish’s shillelagh in the second half to end its season with a 78-64 loss.
—Mike Rodak | [email protected], al, 18 Mar. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shillelagh
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
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
Noun
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Xavier’s younger brother later told police Mills and Walker punished him and his brother by hitting them with a copper rod, punching them with boxing gloves and tying them by wrists and ankles to a ladder with duct tape and then dropping a 10-pound weight on their stomachs.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2025
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Try the trend at home with a tension rod and curtain rings.—
Emily Williams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Photograph by David Surowiecki In the Reviews and Criticism category, the prize went to a trio of pieces by the former staff writer Parul Sehgal.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
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Demetrius Simms Demetrius Simms is a digital staff writer at Robb Report.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shillelagh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shillelagh. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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