cudgel one's brain

verb

To think hard and try to remember something.

Similar
rack one's brain
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Meanings

verbcudgel one's brain (third-person singular simple present cudgels one's brain, present participle (US) cudgeling one's brain or (UK) cudgelling one's brain, simple past and past participle (US) cudgeled one's brain or (UK) cudgelled one's brain)

present singular third person cudgels one's brain · US participle present cudgeling one's brain · UK participle present cudgelling one's brain · US participle past cudgeled one's brain · US past cudgeled one's brain · UK participle past cudgelled one's brain · UK past cudgelled one's brain · alternative cudgel one's brains

  1. UKdatedfigurativelyTo think hard and try to remember something.

    Synonyms: rack one's brain

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo think hard and try to remember something.

Similar
rack one's brain
Also see
beat one's brains out
Cite this entry
APA

cudgel one's brain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cudgel%20one's%20brain

MLA

“cudgel one's brain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cudgel%20one's%20brain. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cudgel one's brain,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cudgel%20one's%20brain.

Source: cudgel one's brain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.