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box sb's ears
(UK also give sb a box on the ears) old-fashioned informalDefinition
› to hit someone on the side of the head, usually as a punishmentHitting and beatingPunishing by causing pain
(Definition of box sb's ears from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
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- Damaging and spoiling
- Destroying and demolishing
- Deteriorating and making worse
- Exploding and erupting
- Fragile and breakable
- Hitting against objects accidentally and colliding
- In bad condition
- Injuring and injuries
- Scratching and rubbing
- Squeezing and grinding
- Tearing and breaking into pieces
- Undamaged, unbroken or in good condition
- Upsetting and destabilizing
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SMART Thesaurus: Hitting and beating
Synonyms and related words:
- -bashing suffix (HIT)
- a bunch of fives idiom
- a rap on/over the knuckles idiom
- battered adjective (HIT)
- battering noun
- butt verb
- deck verb (HIT)
- kick noun (HIT)
- kick verb
- knock sb's block off idiom
- licking noun (PUNISHMENT)
- pasting noun
- pound verb
- put the boot in idiom
- swing noun (SIDEWAYS MOVEMENT)
- swipe noun (HIT)
- swipe verb (HIT)
- thump noun
- whack noun (HIT)
- whack verb
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