as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
you should take a course in anger management—you can't go around punching out people
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in fistfight
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of punch-out
Ewan Spence, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
In his first start in the big leagues, Festa struggled to turn his excellent stuff into strikeouts, giving up five runs with two punch-outs in five innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
—Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 23 Aug. 2024
The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
On Sunday, Cruz punched out Baltimore’s Ramón Laureano, Colton Cowser and Cedric Mullins — all on splitters — before the Yankees rallied in the bottom of the eighth.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch-out
Verb
Asus chose to have a punch-out camera and obscure part of the screen rather than mount it in a larger bezel, which shows how form has come ahead of function.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
In his first start in the big leagues, Festa struggled to turn his excellent stuff into strikeouts, giving up five runs with two punch-outs in five innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
—Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 23 Aug. 2024
Noun
Gather up the scraps, reroll and punch out 2 more rounds.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
On Sunday, Cruz punched out Baltimore’s Ramón Laureano, Colton Cowser and Cedric Mullins — all on splitters — before the Yankees rallied in the bottom of the eighth.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch-out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch-out
Verb
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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
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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
Noun
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After an exchange of words, the two got into a fistfight.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
25 June 2025
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An epic legal battle between the two in the 1990s featured a courtroom fistfight.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
29 May 2025
Verb
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But unlike other technologies, AI doesn’t hide its default bias.—
Pia Lauritzen,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
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But these unremarkable principles hide a dramatic shift in the relationship between science and government.—
David Michaels,
The Atlantic,
20 July 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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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
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Following that news, NFL fans have lashed out at the team.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
Noun
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The game itself was a sloppy slugfest, with both teams combining for 31 turnovers (Magic Johnson coughed it up no fewer than seven times, with two of those fumbles occurring in the final minute) and the Celtics shooting 39.5% from the field.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
11 July 2025
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In our interview, Sheeraz called him an underrated boxer, which is rare praise from a rising British star, and one that suggests this won’t just be a slugfest.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Noun
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That said, the negative reputation surrounding the last lines in Jones’ thorny adaptation — a punch-up from Ellison’s original text that’s meaner and more sexist, no doubt — seems outsized.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 July 2025
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Often, when shows do crossovers, the writers on one will do punch-up for their characters on the other.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
4 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punch-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch-out. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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