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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of cudgel
Stephen Hudak, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Nov. 2024
General sentiment on social media also seems positive, with negativity almost entirely centered on one particular plotline involving a non-binary character, now being used as a culture war cudgel.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
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
Waugh’s complaint has been used as a cudgel to attack Uribe’s character during the stretch run of her re-election campaign — and the attacks have continued even after the ethics commission’s decision.
—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.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for cudgel
Noun
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Hard freezes, ice, and snow will damage or break canes, making plants more susceptible to pests and disease.Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2024
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The age this particular persona is supposed to represent remains ambiguous in the scene, but the Jackal uses a cane and maintains a sense of frailty in his body, both of which contribute to another visual iteration of geriatric Redmayne.Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 28 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Erik Freeland / Corbis via Getty Images Moxley, who had worked as a teacher, was in the national spotlight when Martha, 15, was bludgeoned to death on Oct. 30, 1975, near her family's home in an affluent neighborhood of Greenwich, Connecticut.Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 26 Dec. 2024
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The preliminary investigation determined that she had been bludgeoned to death, officials said.Jon Haworth, ABC News, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Singer uses modern milling techniques to mill from clay and build hard models before the baton is handed off to the engineers.Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 1 Jan. 2025
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Perhaps Kohli will ponder doing right by India and step aside for a younger teammate to take the baton.Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
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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The big picture: The report marks a 90% increase in deportations from 2023 even as Republicans assailed President Biden as weak on the border throughout the election.Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 19 Dec. 2024
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Maglev proponents would gladly assail our environmental justice communities for a project that for us brings much more pain than gain.Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Serve it with a dollop of yogurt, chopped cilantro, and premade rotis.Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 3 Jan. 2025
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Roughly chop the cilantro leaves and set them aside.Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Don't let the small can fool you though, this high will smack you in the face.Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
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Freeman, who had been struggling through an ankle injury, smacked the first pitch from Nestor Cortes 413 feet in the 10th inning of Game 1 for the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history.NBC Los Angeles, NBC News, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Come crunch time in the face-to-face meeting, Bevilaqua shockingly pulls out the piece and whacks Chickie.Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2024
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With all protective layers working, Norton whacked every ransomware sample.PCMAG, PCMAG, 27 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near cudgel
Cite this Entry
“Cudgel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cudgel. Accessed 12 Jan. 2025.
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