1. past tense of cudgel; to beat with a heavy stick or club
Usage: British spelling; American spelling is ‘cudgeled’
2. past tense of cudgel; to think hard about something
Usage: usually in phrase ‘cudgel one’s brains’; British spelling

Examples

• The angry mob cudgelled the thief before the police arrived.
• He was cudgelled unconscious during the violent attack.
• She cudgelled her brains trying to remember where she left her keys.
• The detective cudgelled his mind for clues to solve the mystery.
• The protesters were cudgelled by riot police with batons.
• I cudgelled my memory but couldn’t recall his name.