Literal (as a weapon):
* The knight brandished his cudgel at the approaching dragon.
* The pirates used cudgels to defend themselves against the boarding party.
* The thief was caught with a cudgel hidden under his cloak.
Figurative (as a mental effort):
* He cudgelled his brain for the answer to the riddle.
* The lawyer cudgelled the witnesses with questions, trying to find a contradiction.
* I cudgelled my memory for her name, but it wouldn't come to me.
Other examples:
* The blacksmith cudgelled the metal into shape.
* The waves cudgelled the shore with relentless force.
Remember, the use of "cudgel" is often metaphorical, referring to intense mental effort or a forceful action.