pack a punch
verb1
Informal To be capable of throwing a strong punch.
- Lord, that boy sure can pack a punch.
- Memphis Bill was known to pack a punch.1930 June, Victor R. Daly, “Private Walker Goes Patrolling”, in The Crisis, volume 37, number 6, page 199:
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- If gorillas do fight, injuries can be very serious as these animals have long canine teeth and silverbacks pack a punch estimated at eight times stronger than a heavyweight boxer.2009, Mary Fitzpatrick, Lonely Planet East Africa, Lonely Planet, page 77:
2
Informal To be capable of having a swift and powerful effect.
- Lord, that moonshine sure does pack a punch.
- They go in for statements, slogans, cartoons, pictures, and posters that "pack a punch."1942, Robert Allen Griffin, School of the citizen soldier: adapted from the educational program of the Second Army, Lieutenant General Ben Lear, commanding, D. Appleton-Century Company, Incorporated, page 500:
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- Second, prepare the choices as one-liners. Each one should pack a punch and be so polished that it will jump off the screen into the minds of the audience and create a funny picture.2003, Ronald A. Berk, Professors are from Mars, students are from Snickers: how to write and deliver humor in the classroom and in professional presentations, Stylus Publishing, LLC., page 30:
- It was a poignant scene that packed quite a punch with both champions — and plenty of observers — in tears as Federer called it a career.2023 May 18, Christopher Clarey, “Even as He’s Out, Rafael Nadal Will Always Be a Part of the French Open”, in The New York Times:
- Related terms
- pack heat