1
: a short stick that usually has one thick or loaded end and is used as a weapon
2
: something used to attack or bully
the bludgeon of satire
bludgeoned; bludgeoning; bludgeons
1
: to hit with heavy impact
was bludgeoned to death
2
: to attack or overcome by aggressive argument : bully
mental bludgeoning
We do not talk—we bludgeon one another with facts and theories …—
Henry Miller
Henry MillerSynonyms
Examples of bludgeon in a Sentence
Noun
guards armed with bludgeons roamed the compound
Verb
remodelers bludgeoned the wall with a sledgehammer to join the two rooms
the boxer bludgeons opponents with an assortment of punches
Recent Examples on the WebMichael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2024
Pesticides can be valuable tools when used as scalpels, but when they are used as bludgeons, the evolution of resistance often undoes their efficacy.
—Frances Beinecke, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2012
Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 17 June 2024
The Fairfax commonwealth’s attorney in April ruled that the shooting, by Officer Edward George, was legally justified because George reasonably feared that the other officer could have been bludgeoned with the wine bottle or stabbed with a broken piece of the bottle.
—Tom Jackman, Washington Post, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for bludgeon 
Noun
Conservatives have had it in for Chevron deference for a long time; given their current majority on the court, the doctrine’s death has been a foregone conclusion, awaiting only the appearance of a suitable case to use as a bludgeon.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2024
Pesticides can be valuable tools when used as scalpels, but when they are used as bludgeons, the evolution of resistance often undoes their efficacy.
—Frances Beinecke, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2012
Verb
Bulger was bludgeoned to death in a federal prison in Hazelton, W. Va., on Oct. 30, 2018, less than 24 hours after he was transferred to the facility.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 17 June 2024
The Fairfax commonwealth’s attorney in April ruled that the shooting, by Officer Edward George, was legally justified because George reasonably feared that the other officer could have been bludgeoned with the wine bottle or stabbed with a broken piece of the bottle.
—Tom Jackman, Washington Post, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for bludgeon
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bludgeon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bludgeon
Cite this Entry
“Bludgeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bludgeon. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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