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 Russian Attacks on Ukraine and War Developments Late on July 3 and into the early hours of July 4, Russia battered Ukraine with more than 500 drones and missiles in the most intense aerial attack of the war, surpassing the previous record set just days earlier on June 29. —Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 Floodwaters in the area had swept through and battered several youth camps on the river banks — including Camp Mystic, the summer camp where they were headed. —Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 7 July 2025 The company took over operations at the 44-story art deco skyscraper in 2023 after the previous owner, battered by the post-pandemic office market, surrendered control in late 2022 to its lender Apollo Global Management. —Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025 The bond between them, though battered by time and trauma, hasn’t broken. —Ashley Vega, People.com, 3 July 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
  • The Boston Celtics are still licking their wounds following the heartbreaking end to the 2024-25 NBA season.
    — Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025
  • And Lil Wayne agrees by licking my face, which is part of the job description for companion dogs.
    — Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 9 July 2025
Definition of lick
Verb
  • Trump’s decision to bomb Iran, after all, happened without forewarning for his allies.
    — Garret Martin, The Conversation, 15 July 2025
  • Initially considered a frontrunner in the competition, both as a fierce competitor and a shady schemer, the Texas titan returned for the semifinals last week as a shell of her former self, bombing Snatch Game and having to lip sync for her life.
    — Andy Swift, TVLine, 11 July 2025
Definition of bomb
Verb
  • That first flight on April 28, 2021, was deep within the COVID-19 pandemic that pounded the airline industry.
    — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
  • Play was suspended a couple of times because of severe weather, the occasional pounding rain and possibly lightning.
    — Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 15 July 2025
Definition of pound
Verb
  • Russia also shelled residential neighborhoods and critical infrastructure across Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, killing four civilians and wounding at least 11 others, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the regional military administration.
    — Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
  • The game in New Jersey was perhaps the team’s worst of the season; they got shelled 5-0, managed only 12 shots and took a pair of too-many-men penalties.
    — Peter Baugh, New York Times, 19 June 2025
Definition of shell
Verb
  • The face of the franchise lashed at a breaking ball in the fifth, pulling a hit onto open grass to double the lead.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 26 July 2025
  • Beijing has lashed out against those concerns, including the 27-member bloc’s move last year to raise tariffs on its electric vehicles, launching a range of its own trade probes in apparent retaliation.
    — Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
Definition of lash
Verb
  • Murphy, 30, could punch up a catching group that’s 29th in slugging percentage, batting average and weighted runs created and 30th in on-base percentage.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 July 2025
  • Williams led Florida State with 19 homers this past season while batting .321 for 53 RBI.
    — Cameron Priester, Sun Sentinel, 13 July 2025
Definition of bat
Verb
  • The designer was lucky enough to snag some handwoven jacquard with gold thread from a Venetian palazzo, whipping it into a one-of-a-kind lampshade skirt.
    — Ari Stark, Footwear News, 15 July 2025
  • Shake briefly to whip, then empty contents into a curved Hurricane glass and garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
    — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 11 July 2025
Definition of whip
Verb
  • But these unremarkable principles hide a dramatic shift in the relationship between science and government.
    — David Michaels, The Atlantic, 20 July 2025
  • More than a month after the shooting, police located the vehicle Orona had driven, hidden on a Buckeye property owned by his girlfriend’s family.
    — Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 20 July 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 29 Jul. 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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