as in body blow
Related Words
Relevance
as in to knock down
Related Words
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 sucker punch
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 June 2025
This doesn’t sit well with Mia’s very jealous ex-boyfriend Connor (Aramis Knight, oozing villainy as if to the Karate Kid manor born), who gives Li a black eye with a vicious sucker punch.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2025
Craig responds with a sucker punch that puts Austin on the ground and brings the night to a screeching halt.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025
Yet Victoria feels sucker punched by Piper’s revelation, as if she’s never met her daughter before.
—Cyndy Etler, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sucker punch
Verb
Floating around London’s Chelsea Flower Show as dusk is about to fall, the air is thick, the herbal scents of salvia and geranium offset by the minty nepeta and the flouncing citrus sucker punch of verbana.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 June 2025
This doesn’t sit well with Mia’s very jealous ex-boyfriend Connor (Aramis Knight, oozing villainy as if to the Karate Kid manor born), who gives Li a black eye with a vicious sucker punch.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2025
Craig responds with a sucker punch that puts Austin on the ground and brings the night to a screeching halt.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025
Yet Victoria feels sucker punched by Piper’s revelation, as if she’s never met her daughter before.
—Cyndy Etler, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sucker punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sucker punch
Noun
-
Most of the industry seems to view the measure as a body blow that will hurt tech companies’ ability to hire the best talent.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Ali went forward stiffly, his trunk and hips deeply bruised from Frazier’s body blows.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But regulators knocked down the total penalty to $242,800.—
Anjeanette Damon,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The footage showed the elephant, which may have weighed 10,000 pounds, knocking down a female tourist into the waters with her trunk, and then briefly pinning her before giving up, the outlet reported.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This was the club felled by Pete Alonso’s shocking home run last autumn.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
However, the miniature accessories didn’t seem to stop a group of humans from felling and butchering the elephant.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Lined up to the left of Mahomes outside of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Travis Kelce, Brown streaked across the field uncovered in part because Kelce drew multiple defenders and in part because of a key read of man defense.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 Oct. 2025
-
To maximize your chances of seeing the Orionids, first locate Betelgeuse shining to the upper left of the three distinctive stars that form the famous asterism of Orion's Belt.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Before your boss could match dance steps to the music, his opponent was already kicking him in the groin and throwing rabbit punches.—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
2 July 2024
Verb
-
One is of Hyland striking an elegant pose in a voluminous purple dress decked in glitter and rhinestones.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The glamorous tourists, all of whom are decked in Burberry, are played by models including Amelia Gray, Liu Wen, Lucky Blue Smith, Mona Tougaard and Tyson Beckford.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Wyeth hadn’t gotten the exposure right, and greasy shadows overwhelmed almost all the fine detail in the boy’s image.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Russia remains the only foreign government that has formally recognized the Taliban and diplomats have said steps toward recognition require a change of course on women’s rights.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until combined.—
Kathryn Gregory,
Louisville Courier Journal,
15 Oct. 2025
-
In a stand mixer, thoroughly cream together the shortening, margarine, 3 cups of the sugar, and the eggs.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sucker punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sucker%20punch. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share