sucker-punch

American

[suhk-er-puhnch] / ˈsʌk ərˌpʌntʃ /

verb (used with object)

Slang.

to strike (someone) with an unexpected blow.

sucker punch British

noun

a sudden surprise punch, esp from behind
a sudden unexpected defeat or setback

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

sucker punch Idioms

An unexpected blow, as in They felt that suddenly raising the interest rate was a sucker punch to the administration. This expression comes from boxing, where it is used for a punch delivered unexpectedly; boxing great Jack Dempsey wrote, “The right lead [for a right-handed boxer] is called a sucker punch.” [Slang; mid-1900s]

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

sucker punch

noun

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Far too open at the back throughout the game, City were caught by a sucker punch in the 22nd minute.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

Hearts were stunned by the sucker punch from Yang, but these guys are made of stern stuff.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026

“Train Dreams,” a film on Netflix starring Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones, is breathtaking in the most literal way, delivering emotion like a sucker punch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

The narrative is less sucker punch than brilliant feints and jabs.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2025

There was the twinge, the dull ache, the sucker punch that made me curl up on my bed.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023