EXPLODE?

lashes out, slams, wallops, hits back at, decimates, destroys, nukes, smashes, reams, eviscerates, smacks down, fights back, strikes back, plows, stomps, shatters, slashes, attacks, lunges at, snaps, knocks, jabs, disembowels, beats, shoots down, strings up, whacks, assaults, slices/dices, thrashes, whips, battles, clashes, returns the blow, kicks back, hits below the belt, scuffles, at war with, scorches, burns, threatens (vows, warns, cautions), assails, brawls (& melee), fisticuffs, sacks, pummels, skirmishes, batters, fires back, sounds alarm, savages, trounces, pounces, flays, storms, pounds, punches back, hammers, tackles, shreds, blisters

I'm so tired of this Sturm und Drang in media headlines "launched at" us for two years. What the fuck ever happened to "responded", "replied", "rebutted" or even "retorted"? Every one of those words they overuse (promiscuously) evokes PAIN.

2 years is way too long for these ugly, divisive people to be in our heads. We're going to come out of this (please Jesus) with PTSD, as adrenalin junkies, or as raging alcoholics if we're not vigilantly safeguarding our sanity.