sucker punch
5
7.2
- noun
- /ˈsʌkər pʌnʧ/
- Informal
:
golpe bajo
- This is why, as I listened to Propaganda's new album, the track "Precious Puritans" caught me like a sucker punch to the gut.
- sucker punch to the gut
It was the punch, the sucker punch from Russia with Love and he's waving the flags and they're going.
- It was the punch, the sucker punch from Russia with Love and he's waving the flags and they're going.
Examples
-
The sucker punch takes you to the ground, and you can feel your wallet being taken from your back pocket.
Blog text (3) -
Inter were more than content to settle for a draw but were hit with two late sucker punches.
Blog text (9) -
Hey, maybe we should pull over, try again this time without the sucker punch, see how well you do.
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You know, that's kind of a sucker punch for somebody who just made you a birthday cake.
-
This is when Blatner hits us with his sucker punch.
Blog text (31) -
Receiving a sucker punch from his opponent caught him completely off guard during the match.
-
Her unexpected remark felt like a sucker punch, leaving him speechless at the dinner table.
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The news hit him like a sucker punch, as he never saw it coming.
Synonyms
9
5.6
An unfair physical attack on a player, often after the play stops
5
6.5
A quick hit with the fist
1
9.3
A short hard hit to the back of the neck that is dangerous and illegal in boxing
A sudden strong hit that hurts someone or something
A quick light slap given in play
How Violent
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly interpretable from its parts: 'sucker' (a gullible or unsuspecting person) + 'punch' (a blow) yields the idea of a blow delivered to an unsuspecting/vulnerable person — i.e. an unexpected or unfair attack. This noun–noun composition follows a common, compositional pattern so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the phrase's meaning.
Etymology
Sucker punch comes from a simple image: a sucker was a person who was tricked or not ready, and a punch is a sudden hit, so someone could hit them without warning. That's why sucker punch means 'an unexpected and unfair attack'.