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
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as in to bludgeon
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cudgel
Scott White, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Democrats plowed ahead anyway, using a procedural end around, but that race foretold the brutal midterm beating Democrats would take from the GOP with ObamaCare as the main cudgel.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 21 Mar. 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
Too often, schools and districts wield data as a punitive cudgel rather than a tool for improvement.
—Scott White, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Democrats plowed ahead anyway, using a procedural end around, but that race foretold the brutal midterm beating Democrats would take from the GOP with ObamaCare as the main cudgel.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 21 Mar. 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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Carrying a wooden cane, Camus led Yarvin through the small town of Plieux.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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The former sovereign sometimes walks with a cane for support and was hospitalized after falling at her Fredensborg Castle home in September 2024.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
8 May 2025
Verb
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While the parallels drawn (sometimes by the artist himself) between him and 2Pac are usually semiotic, here Wayne channels what is perhaps Pac’s signature skill: his capacity to bludgeon his way through a heavy beat while retaining the dynamism and bend in his voice.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
6 June 2025
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Kate would have the family’s victims sit with their backs to a canvas curtain, according to the Reflector, while another family member hid and would bludgeon the victim over the head with a hammer.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
1 June 2025
Noun
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When funding for these circulars came to an end, Fred picked up the eclipse baton and with the help of Canadian meteorologist Jay Anderson, produced their own eclipse circulars, funded under the auspices of NASA.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
3 June 2025
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YoungBoy takes the baton and aims at his detractors.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
21 May 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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Many independent observers have assailed the exercise as a triumph of politics over justice — and a potentially fatal blow for the separation of powers, a crucial pillar of democratic rule.—
Patrick J. McDonnell,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
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Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has set the tone by assailing his former colleague Jennifer Griffin (Fox’s national security correspondent) and other journalists.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
Verb
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How This Recipe Comes Together The most challenging part of the recipe is chopping the potatoes, which of course isn't even difficult.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
28 May 2025
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The duo then had an exchange with the War Raiders, one of whom chopped Bert.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Verb
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With two outs and a runner on in the fourth, Tyler Fitzgerald smacked a fastball from Cabrera to left field.—
Steve Gorten,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2025
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Crawford got ahold of an Alcala fastball, sending it off the scoreboard ribbon in right field and erasing a lead that the Twins had been protecting since the second inning when Wallner, in his first major league at-bat since April 15, smacked a two-run home run.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
1 June 2025
Verb
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Shohei Ohtani retook sole possession of the major league lead in long balls by whacking his 17th of the season.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2025
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Last year, Reese committed a flagrant foul on Clark by whacking her on the head as Clark went up for a layup.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cudgel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cudgel. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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