What does "a palos" mean?

By means of beating or physical blows; indicating that someone was struck repeatedly or killed by being beaten.

How is "a palos" used in a sentence?

¡Matad a palos a los ingenieros!

a palos — Meaning, Examples & Usage (Spanish)

Meanings:

1.
SpainLatin Americaneutralcolloquial
- By means of beating or physical blows; indicating that someone was struck repeatedly or killed by being beaten.
- Describes the use of physical violence to force compliance, obtain a confession, or punish.
Examples
Beta
- El detenido fue golpeado a palos por la policía antes de ser llevado a la comisaría.
  The detainee was beaten with sticks by the police before being taken to the station.
- Los ladrones atacaron a palos a la víctima para robarle el bolso en la calle oscura.
  The thieves attacked the victim with sticks to steal her bag in the dark street.
- En la novela, el personaje murió a palos tras una pelea en el pueblo.
  In the novel, the character died after being beaten with sticks following a fight in the village.
- Los animales salvajes fueron cazados a palos por los aldeanos para proteger sus cultivos.
  The wild animals were hunted down with sticks by villagers to protect their crops.
2.
SpainLatin Americacolloquialinformal
- Figurative usage meaning 'by forceful means' or 'with great difficulty and effort'; implying that something was achieved through harsh measures.
Examples
Beta
- Conseguimos terminar el proyecto a palos, trabajando muchas horas y bajo presión.
  We managed to finish the project by force, working many hours under pressure.
- No fue fácil, pero lograron el acuerdo a palos, con muchas discusiones y negociaciones duras.
  It wasn’t easy, but they got the agreement by force, with many discussions and tough negotiations.
- La empresa salió adelante a palos después de la crisis financiera, con grandes sacrificios del equipo.
  The company got ahead by force after the financial crisis, with great sacrifices by the team.

Examples:

ES: ¡Matad a palos a los ingenieros!
EN: "Kill the engineers! Down with Allan!"
ES: "¡Han matado a mi marido a palos!"
EN: They beat my husband to death!
ES: ¡Voy a molerte a palos hasta que revientes, golfo!
EN: I will beat you till you'll be good for nothing
ES: Lo han molido a palos.
EN: They've smashed it.
ES: Es vergonzosa esa insinuación constante de que a los acusados se les sacó la confesión a palos.
EN: This constant intimation by counsel .. That the defendants were forced into confession by beating is outrageous.
ES: ¡Y ser molido a palos en la estación de St-Charles!
EN: And from being implicated in that train station job!
ES: A todos los demás tuve primero que molerlos a palos.
EN: Everybody else I had to beat the pants off of first.
ES: La noche de su llegada, lo molieron a palos.
EN: The first night he was there, they beat him.
ES: - ¡Me van a moler a palos!
EN: Principal Boisse will kill me.
ES: ¡Te voy a moler a palos!
EN: , I'm going to grind you with sticks!
ES: Sólo pídemelo, Mary, y lo muelo a palos.
EN: Just give me the word, Mary, and I'll slug him.
ES: ¿Quién lo mató a palos?
EN: Who hit you?
ES: Sin olvidar el viejo matado a palos.
EN: On top of the old man getting knocked out.
ES: Pero no la maté por el dinero sino por que estaba matando a palos a Jean.
EN: But I didn't kill her for money but because she was wailing on Jean.
ES: Hombres que podrian molerte a palos.
EN: Men who'd make a meal of you.
ES: - Casi lo mata a palos.
EN: -He was almost beaten to death.
ES: ¡Te quitaremos la magia a palos!
EN: We'll beat the sorcery out of you, you'll see!
ES: Han molido a palos a Louie.
EN: Louie was beaten up.
ES: ¡Vuelve a casa! ¡Si no, esta noche te muelo a palos!
EN: Come back home, or tonight I'll beat you to a pulp!
ES: ¿Tengo que sacártelo a palos?
EN: Do I have to beat it out of you?

a palos — meaning & examples

Language: es

Meanings:

1.

Examples

2.

Examples

Examples:

a palos — meaning & examples

Language: es

Meanings:

1.

Examples

2.

Examples

Examples:

Related Idioms