1. beating with a heavy stick or club
Usage: present participle of cudgel
2. thinking hard about something; racking one’s brain
Usage: usually in phrase ‘cudgeling one’s brains’

1. the act of beating with a cudgel or thinking intensively
Usage: gerund form

Examples

• The angry mob was cudgeling the thief they had caught.
• He spent hours cudgeling his brains for the answer.
• The detective was cudgeling her memory for any clues.
• Stop cudgeling yourself over that mistake.
• The cudgeling of the prisoner was brutal and unnecessary.
• After much cudgeling of his thoughts, he finally understood.
• She was cudgeling the carpet to remove the dust.