maulverb [ T often passive ]
uk/mɔːl/us/mɑːl/maul verb [ T often passive ] (ANIMAL)
If an animal mauls someone, it attacks that person and injures them with its teeth or claws (= long sharp nails):
A small boy was mauled by the neighbour's dog.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Animal (non-human) behaviour
- accidental
- eusocial
- fledge
- frisk
- lap
- migrant
- mob
- molt
- nest
- nuzzle
- perch
- prey
- ruminate
- scratch
- shy
- skitter
- slaver 1
- stampede
- torpor
- trot
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maul verb [ T often passive ] (CRITICIZE)
to criticize something or someone severely:
Both films were mauled by the critics.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Disapproving & criticizing
- -basher
- animadversion
- aspersions
- backbite
- bad-mouth
- belabour
- damn
- damn sb with faint praise idiom
- denounce
- dig
- disapproval
- give sb hell idiom
- lashing
- pitch into sb/sth
- pound
- pound away at sth/sb
- pull sth apart
- put the boot in idiom
- take a dim view of sth idiom
- throw
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