From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmaulmaul /mɔːl $ mɒːl/ verb [transitive] 1 ATTACKif an animal mauls someone, it injures them badly by tearing their flesh A mentally ill man was mauled after climbing into the lions’ enclosure at London Zoo.2 CRITICIZEto strongly criticize something, especially a new book, play etc Her latest book was absolutely mauled by the critics.3 SYto touch someone in a rough sexual way which they think is unpleasant What makes you think you’ve got the right to maul me like that?4 informal to defeat someone very easily – used especially in sports reports Stanford have looked quite good lately. They absolutely mauled Notre Dame last weekend. —mauling noun [singular] Brown got a mauling over the government’s failure to fulfil its promises.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
maul• Tiny Tabard's hopes were dashed after taking a 7-0 lead as they were mauled 50-13 by mighty Northampton.• A six-year-old boy was mauled by a mountain lion.• Slabs of dough lay covered under a gauzy fabric, waiting to be pummeled and mauled by Mrs Bay.• His ads mauling Feinstein were brutal, as were hers in return.• The offending picture was confiscated and Professor Jones was mauled for permitting its exhibition.• The assailant approached another woman on Baden Avenue near Maple Avenue, grabbed her shoulders, kissed and mauled her.• Cincinnati mauled the Oilers 41-14 at Riverfront Stadium.Origin maul (1300-1400) maul “hammer” ((13-20 centuries)), from Old French mail, from Latin malleus 