Hit violently, as in an attack.

synonyms: lace into, lam into, lay into, tear into.

Roget 972: punish; chastise, chasten; castigate, correct, inflict punishment, administer correction, deal retributive justice; cowhide, lambaste [Slang].    visit upon, pay; pay out, serve out; do for; make short work of, give a lesson to, serve one right, make an example of; have a rod in pickle for; give it one.    strike etc. 276; deal a blow to, administer the lash, smite; slap, slap the face; smack, cuff, box the ears, spank, thwack, thump, beat, lay on, swinge^†, buffet; thresh, thrash, pummel, drub, leather, trounce, sandbag, baste, belabor; lace, lace one's jacket; dress, dress down, give a dressing, trim, warm, wipe, tund^†, cob, bang, strap, comb, lash, lick, larrup, wallop, whop, flog, scourge, whip, birch, cane, give the stick, switch, flagellate, horsewhip, bastinado, towel, rub down with an oaken towel, rib roast, dust one's jacket, fustigate^†, pitch into, lay about one, beat black and blue; beat to a mummy, beat to a jelly; give a black eye.    tar and feather; pelt, stone, lapidate^†; masthead, keelhaul.    execute; bring to the block, bring to the gallows; behead, decapitate, guillotine; decollate; hang, turn off, gibbet, bowstring, hang draw and quarter; shoot; decimate; burn; break on the wheel, crucify; empale^†, impale; flay; lynch; electrocute; gas, send to the gas chamber.    torture; put on, put to the rack; picket.    banish, exile, transport, expel, ostracize; rusticate; drum out; dismiss, disbar, disbench^†; strike off the roll, unfrock; post.    suffer, suffer for, suffer punishment; be flogged.    be executed, suffer the ultimate penalty; be hanged &c.; come to the gallows, mount the gallows, swing [Coll.], twist in the wind, dance upon nothing, die in one's shoes; be rightly served; be electrocuted, fry [Coll.], ride the lightning [Coll.]; face the firing squad.    ... show more

Roget 716: attack, assault, assail; invade; set upon, fall upon; charge, impugn, break a lance with, enter the lists.    assume the offensive, take the offensive; be the aggressor, become the aggressor; strike the first blow, draw first blood, throw the first stone at; lift a hand against, draw the sword against; take up the cudgels; advance against, march against; march upon, harry; come on, show fight.    strike at, poke at, thrust at; aim a blow at, deal a blow at; give one a blow, fetch one a blow, fetch one a kick, give one a kick; have a cut at, have a shot at, take a cut at, take a shot at, have a fling at, have a shy at; be down upon, pounce upon; fall foul of, pitch into, launch out against; bait, slap on the face; make a thrust at, make a pass at, make a set at, make a dead set at; bear down upon.    close with, come to close quarters; bring to bay.    ride full tilt against; attack tooth and nail, go at hammer and tongs.    let fly at, dash at, run a tilt at, rush at, tilt at, run at, fly at, hawk at, have at, let out at; make a dash, make a rush at; strike home; drive one hard; press one hard; be hard upon, run down, strike at the root of.    lay about one, run amuck.    aim at, draw a bead on [U.S.].    fire upon, fire at, fire a shot at; shoot at, pop at, level at, let off a gun at; open fire, pepper, bombard, shell, pour a broadside into; fire a volley, fire red-hot shot; spring a mine.    throw a stone, throw stones at; stone, lapidate^†, pelt; hurl at, hurl against, hurl at the head of; rock beset [U.S.], besiege, beleaguer; lay siege to, invest, open the trenches, plant a battery, sap, mine; storm, board, scale the walls.    cut and thrust, bayonet, butt; kick, strike etc. (impulse) 276; whip etc. (punish) 972.    [attack verbally] assail, impugn; malign (detract) 934.    bomb, rocket, blast.    ... show more

Roget 720: contend; contest, strive, struggle, scramble, wrestle; spar, square; exchange blows, exchange fisticuffs; fib^†, justle^†, tussle, tilt, box, stave, fence; skirmish; pickeer^†; fight etc. (war) 722; wrangle etc. (quarrel) 713.    contend with &c., grapple with, engage with, close with, buckle with, bandy with, try conclusions with, have a brush etc. n.. with, tilt with; encounter, fall foul of, pitch into, clapperclaw^†, run a tilt at; oppose etc. 708; reluct.    join issue, come to blows, go to loggerheads, set to, come to the scratch, exchange shots, measure swords, meet hand to hand; take up the cudgels, take up the glove, take up the gauntlet; enter the lists; couch one's lance; give satisfaction; appeal to arms; etc. (warfare) 722.    lay about one; break the peace.    compete with, cope with, vie with, race with; outvie^†, emulate, rival; run a race; contend for &c., stipulate for, stickle for; insist upon, make a point of.    ... show more

Dutch: uitkafferen, aftroeven, inhakken