1
as in stomped
to move heavily or clumsily
pounding down the road as fast as he could run
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smacked
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
pounding nails into boards all day long
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in licked
to strike repeatedly
during the storm the waves furiously pounded the beach
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
5
as in crushed
to reduce to fine particles
the tablet may be pounded and mixed in with the animal's food
Synonyms & Similar 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 pounded
The Celtics pounded the paint with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, a pair of bruising bigs who also can force the issue from 3-point range despite their lumbering dispositions.
—
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Trump seems to have arrived, on his own, at the same understanding of geography and politics that was pounded into the heads of Soviet schoolchildren, including Putin and me.
—M. Gessen, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Jimmy Fallon was amazed that Charles said that to Kelce, and not just because the 6-foot-5 Kelce could have pounded the actor into a pulp.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Jan. 2026
For days, Cronkite’s words pounded in my head.
—Kathy Hersh, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2026
The bench went nuts, of course, as Manning — whose lip had been bloodied on an earlier tackle — pointed toward the Texas section seated behind his bench and pounded his chest to its delight.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 2 Jan. 2026
Zelensky said an estimated 2,100 drones, 800 bombs, and 100 missiles pounded the country.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 29 Dec. 2025
For ten days, a blizzard pounded the Wasatch Mountains.
—Outside Online, 24 Dec. 2025
Without its dynamic starting quarterback, the Cougars were outpaced by visiting Inglewood, which pounded the rock in a 40-16 victory on Friday at Saddleback College.
—Zach Cavanagh, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pounded
Verb
-
Jenkins brutally stomped and punched Coto, who was severely injured and put on life support.—
-
The disarmingly handsome comic adopted the delivery of a smarmy newsman and deadpanned a joke about the hatching of a baby sandpiper, a triumph for the zoo where it was born, until the bird was stomped to death by a baby hippo born a day earlier.—
Verb
-
The group has smacked around quarterbacks, tackled well and dominated most key areas but hasn’t taken the ball away like an elite defense.—
-
We’re getting smacked around by teams by 30, 40 points.—
Verb
-
Some even licked the candy to soften it -- a trick used by contestants in the show.—
-
Napkins were crumpled; plates were licked.—
Verb
-
Ross, who was one of several federal agents involved in the arrest, initially drew his service weapon, but holstered the gun after Muñoz-Guatemala stopped his car and raised his hands, according to the affidavit.—
-
When the vehicle began to move forward slowly, another agent standing in front of the SUV drew a firearm and fired at least two shots through the windshield while stepping backward.—
Verb
-
And Johnson can’t erase the imagery of poor Cleveland Browns rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham, a top-5 pick, bursting through the B-gap at the snap only to be crushed by guard Jonah Jackson.—
-
Hodges was trapped, his whole body getting crushed.—
Verb
-
Empty boxes were stacked along a side wall in the locker room as players shuffled in and out to pack up a season’s worth of shirts and jerseys and cleats and memorabilia.—
-
First, the sophomore shuffled back into coverage after showing A-gap pressure to intercept a Bryce Underwood pass over the middle of the field, ending a key fourth-quarter drive.—
Verb
-
Iowa then got three good looks from the three-point line in the final seconds but couldn't hit the tying shot.—
-
Despite their franchise history dating back to the mid-70s (via Kansas City and Colorado), which includes essentially all of the highest-scoring era in league history, the New Jersey Devils have never had a player hit either of the game’s most basic offensive milestones.—
Verb
-
Trump has also repeatedly lashed out over the state’s incarceration of Tina Peters, the former county clerk convicted of state felonies related to her attempts to prove discredited election conspiracies shared by the president.—
-
The California economy was lashed all year by tumult in Hollywood, which has been hit by a slowdown in filming as well as media and entertainment industry consolidation.—
Cite this Entry
“Pounded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pounded. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share