: a heavy often wooden-headed hammer used especially for driving wedges
also
: a tool like a sledgehammer with one wedge-shaped end that is used to split wood
mauled; mauling; mauls
mauler
noun
Examples of maul in a Sentence
Verb
A bear killed one hiker and badly mauled the other.
demonstrators who claimed that they had been mauled by the police
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2024
Cama’s 7-point try box came in the 74th minute and was a result of the Legion muscling their way to a series of successful scrums, mauls and rucks before Cama punched it over inside the 5-meter line area.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2025
In 2016, a keeper wearing a panda suit was attacked and mauled by a protective mother bear who mistook him as an intruder on her territory.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for maul 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
John Franklin-Myers mauls RT Rosengarten and gets sack, knocking Baltimore out of FG position.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2024
Cama’s 7-point try box came in the 74th minute and was a result of the Legion muscling their way to a series of successful scrums, mauls and rucks before Cama punched it over inside the 5-meter line area.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
Verb
After getting mauled on the glass for much of the season, St. Thomas has now out-rebounded each of its last three opponents – all three victories following the loss to Nebraska-Omaha.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2025
In 2016, a keeper wearing a panda suit was attacked and mauled by a protective mother bear who mistook him as an intruder on her territory.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for maul
Dictionary Entries Near maul
Cite this Entry
“Maul.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maul. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
maul
1 of 2 noun
: a heavy hammer often with a wooden head used especially for driving wedges or posts
maul
2 of 2 verb
mauler
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share