sucker-punch

American  

[suhk-er-puhnch] / ˈsʌk ərˌpʌntʃ /

verb (used with object)

Slang.

1. to strike (someone) with an unexpected blow.

---

sucker punch British  

noun

1. a sudden surprise punch, esp from behind

2. a sudden unexpected defeat or setback

---

sucker punch Idioms  

1. 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

• sucker punch noun

Example Sentences

And by the final whistle, on the scene of their sucker-punch final defeat by Leinster in 2011, neither did Saints.

From BBC

With that approach, the album goes right back to the sucker-punch sound of Gaga's early hits like Poker Face, Just Dance and Born This Way.

From BBC

The New York Times Book Review says this thriller about four families struggling to find the truth in the shadow of a terrible accident has “a sucker-punch ending you’ll have to read twice to believe,” and multiple reviewers praise Audrain’s observations about the dark side of motherhood.

From Seattle Times

Blackburn break after a dreadful pass form Crysecnio Summerville near the halfway line and nearly come up with a sucker-punch.

From BBC

Instead, just three days later, they fell victim to a late sucker-punch as McBurnie fired in from close range in the 93rd minute to earn a point for the Premier League's bottom side.

From BBC