maul

plural mauls

1. A heavy long-handled hammer, used for splitting logs by driving a wedge into them, or in combat.

   Synonyms: club, mace

2. ball gamesA situation where the player carrying the ball, who must be on his feet, is held by one or more opponents, and one or more of the ball carrier's team mates bind onto the ball carrier.
3. biologyThe fruit of the Washingtonia species.

present singular third person mauls · participle present mauling · participle past mauled · past mauled

1. To handle someone or something in a rough way.

   Synonyms: abuse, mishandle, misuse

2. usuallyTo savage; to cause serious physical wounds.

   The bear mauled him in a terrible way.

   2 more examples

   The embattled heavy cruiser is not in immediate danger of sinking, but is being badly mauled.

   2019 February 27, Drachinifel, 26:02 from the start, in The Battle of Samar - Odds? What are those?, archived from the original on 03 Nov 2022

   A tiger handler who had acquired some of his tigers from the zoo owner known as Joe Exotic was fatally mauled on Saturday by a tiger at his family-run zoo in southeastern Oklahoma, the authorities said.

   2025 September 22, Michael Levenson, “Tiger Handler Linked to Joe Exotic Is Fatally Mauled by Tiger”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC

   Synonyms: harm, wound, abuse, annoy, bewound, damage, damnify, dere

3. figurativelyTo criticise harshly.

   The latest film by the Cohen brothers was mauled by the press, and was a box-office flop to boot.

   Synonyms: castigate, excoriate, admonish, animadvert, bash, bawl out, tilt, clobber

4. transitiveTo beat with a maul.
5. slanglifestyleTo play rough, to fondle intensively.

   28 year old big, burly, bearded grizzly looking for other bears to maul me! Facial/body hair, brains a plus!

   1990 January 21, “Fuck Buddy/ies wanted”, in Gay Community News, volume 17, number 27, Personals, page 13