mauled

verb

past tense of maul
1
as in abused
to abuse physically demonstrators who claimed that they had been mauled by the police

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in licked
to strike repeatedly the irate store owner was mauling the shoplifter when the police showed up

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 mauled Four days after Ismail was attacked, 63-year-old swimmer Greg O’Neill was fatally mauled by a large white shark. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 When his grandfather was mauled by a leopard caught in a trap set for an impala, however, Mgesi began to feel that the dangers of hunting wildlife outweighed its benefits for humans. — Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026 The native dogs are known to have killed baby Azaria Chamberlain, who was taken in the outback in 1980, and mauled Canadian tourist Piper James, who died on K’Gari off the coast of Queensland earlier this year. — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026 And, a year ago, a 71-year-old woman was mauled to death by four dogs in Miami Gardens. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026 Also in June, a woman was mauled by a shark at one of Australia's most popular beaches in Sydney. — CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026 Lug a bulky, awkward, bear-proof canister to store your food so you don’t get mauled. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 And statistically, your chances of getting jumped and mauled by a bear are so low compared to any other real danger in the backcountry. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026 The attack comes less than a month after another woman was mauled by a bear in Anchorage. — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mauled
  1. abused
  2. licked
  3. attacked
  4. pounded
  5. manhandled
  6. lashed
  7. ambushed
  8. battered
Verb
  • The charges come with additional special allegations, around the victim’s vulnerability and that Tapia abused a trustworthy position.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Early American corporate charters, after all, were granted for limited public purposes and could be revoked when abused.
    — Christopher Marquis, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of abused
Verb
  • Tuxedo kitten Paolina bounced onto my chest and licked my fingers.
    — Solvej Schou, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Her entire face got licked clean off her head when suburban floodwaters breached the cardboard hull protecting Kath’s basement memorabilia stack a few months before I was born.
    — Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of licked
Verb
  • Authorities said John had been a special needs student at the school and had attacked a classroom with special needs students.
    — HAVEN DALEY, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • On Friday, settlers attacked the village as residents, accompanied by peace activists, set out early for the harvest.
    — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of attacked
Verb
  • But the boat overtook me, pounded at me as if asking me not to leave it.
    — Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Prices have surged as Ukraine has pounded Russian refineries and Iran and its Houthi allies have attacked energy facilities around the Persian Gulf.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of pounded
Verb
  • However, that doesn’t explain how they were manhandled by the Gamecocks last week.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Being manhandled at home by a team with the sport’s sixth-lowest payroll is a negative.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of manhandled
Verb
  • Over the weekend, Hurricane Simon lashed at the country's Pacific Coast as a Category 4 hurricane.
    — Adrian Florido, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026
  • San Diego lashed 30 of his 88 pitches for fouls, as Misiorowski’s command and velocity escaped him in the second inning.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of lashed
Verb
  • Jackson Chourio ambushed Blake Snell’s first pitch of the night for a leadoff blast, and Robert Gasser protected the lead with five shutout frames.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Shot in the Canary Islands, Doom Scroll watches as a family’s Passover Seder is ambushed by intruders hungry for revenge, viral fame and power.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of ambushed
Verb
  • Russian missile and drone attacks killed five people in Kyiv and left at least 600,000 without power, as strikes battered the capital’s energy infrastructure for a third night.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The storm battered the coast over the weekend with wind, rain and unusually large waves, which tore apart a historic boardwalk and smashed into coastal homes.
    — JAIMIE DING, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of battered

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Cite this Entry

“Mauled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mauled. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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