bully 1 of 3

bully

2 of 3

noun

bully

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word bully different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of bully are browbeat, bulldoze, cow, and intimidate. While all these words mean "to frighten into submission," bully implies intimidation through threats, insults, or aggressive behavior.

bullied into giving up their lunch money

When could browbeat be used to replace bully?

While the synonyms browbeat and bully are close in meaning, browbeat implies a cowing through arrogant, scornful, or contemptuous treatment.

browbeat the witness into a contradiction

In what contexts can bulldoze take the place of bully?

In some situations, the words bulldoze and bully are roughly equivalent. However, bulldoze implies an intimidating or an overcoming of resistance usually by urgings, demands, or threats.

bulldozed the city council into approving the plan

When might cow be a better fit than bully?

The synonyms cow and bully are sometimes interchangeable, but cow implies reduction to a state where the spirit is broken or all courage is lost.

not at all cowed by the odds against making it in show business

When is it sensible to use intimidate instead of bully?

The words intimidate and bully can be used in similar contexts, but intimidate implies inducing fear or a sense of inferiority into another.

intimidated by so many other bright freshmen

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 bully
Noun
Those outbursts, animated by the studio Bones, are some of the most spectacular of any anime this past decade — such as an early confrontation with a terrorist in which Mob grabs a bully by the face and takes him high into the air before crashing back down to earth like a meteor. Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025 The Celtics also handled the Magic’s bully ball especially well in the final two games of the series. Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
Growing up with a single mother in Dayton, Ohio, Eleni explains that she was bullied for thrifting during her childhood and is overjoyed to see a new generation embrace it. Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025 Her followers marched in drinking institutions and demanded change and many of the disgruntled or bullied patrons signed statements of temperance. Arkansas Online, 10 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for bully
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bully
Adjective
  • In fact, 89% of C-suite marketers recognize that employees can bring great value to their businesses as influencers.
    Sarah Goodall, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
  • Even in Paris, this would make a great evening bag and match practically any outfit.
    Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • Their reckless, soft-on-crime policies emboldened criminals and thugs; wreaked havoc on the sanctity of our homes, businesses, and public spaces; instilled fear; and jeopardized public trust.
    Jenna deJong, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025
  • That theft is believed to have led to the brazen kidnapping in suburban Connecticut of the parents of one of Lam’s alleged co-conspirators by a crew of thugs from Florida who prosecutors say planned to hold the parents for ransom from their newly rich son.
    Dan Mangan, CNBC, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • The bill was named after Trey Carlock, a Dallas native who died by suicide in 2019 at the age of 28 after being abused by a Missouri summer camp director.
    Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2025
  • Two tribal nations filed a lawsuit saying that the federal government used the trust fund money of tribes to pay for boarding schools where generations of Native children were systematically abused.
    Graham Lee Brewer, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • Democrats have said the Trump administration is trying to intimidate them out of performing their role overseeing how the executive branch implements laws.
    Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 23 May 2025
  • The guys who are willing to intimidate by hurting people will always win.
    Michael Russo, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • Even with challenging oppositions, Siakam has been terrific throughout the playoffs.
    Tony East, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
  • The actor stars opposite a terrific female cast in a story that plays out like a 1950s Hollywood weepie, piling on the tears but not always doing it convincingly.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • The absence of cloud cover that day exposed the Liberators even more to enemy fire.
    Linda Dudik, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 May 2025
  • The team cites the cosmic horror vibes of movies like Prometheus and the encroaching threat of intimidating enemies such as the Zerg from StarCraft as key inspirations for the game world.
    David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • Perhaps this is why it was never required viewing in my household; there was no darker notion than our hero potentially being a villain.
    Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 24 May 2025
  • Of course, everyone has their own favorite Bond villain.
    EW.com, EW.com, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • The allegation that Afrikaners were being mistreated was at the center of an executive order Trump issued days later that cut all U.S. assistance to South Africa.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
  • Two shows on Netflix last year helped inject momentum into a slow-moving legal process, and new interest in the brothers’ fate was fueled by campaigns on TikTok and other social media by younger people who felt the brothers were mistreated in the 1990s.
    Tim Arango, New York Times, 15 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bully. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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