slapped; slapping
1
a
: to strike sharply with or as if with the open hand
b
: to cause to strike with a motion or sound like that of a blow with the open hand
2
: to put, place, or throw with careless haste or force
slapped on a coat of paint
3
: to subject to a penalty
—usually used with with
slapped him with a $10 fine
4
: to assail verbally : insult
Synonyms
Verb
- bang
- bash
- bat
- belt
- biff
- bludgeon
- bob
- bonk
- bop
- box
- bust
- clap
- clip
- clobber
- clock
- clout
- crack
- hammer
- hit
- knock
- nail
- paste
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slog
- slug
- smack
- smite
- sock
- strike
- swat
- swipe
- tag
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- whack
- whale
- zap
Noun (1)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- douse [British]
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Examples of slap in a Sentence
Verb
She slapped him across the face.
He slapped me on the back and said “Good job!”.
He called the dog by slapping his hand against his thigh.
Waves were slapping against the side of the boat.
Gentle waves slapped the side of the raft.
doctors used to give newborns a light slap to get them to start breathing
that comment is a slap to anyone who has ever served in the military
Adverb
I walked slap into the post.
Recent Examples on the Web
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 14 Jan. 2025
Canadian officials say that if Trump follows through with his threat of punishing tariffs, Canada would consider slapping retaliatory tariffs on American orange juice, toilets and some steel products.
—Jim Morris, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
Rebecca Messina, The Week Uk, theweek, 30 Dec. 2024
In one breath, people acknowledged the social faux pas of the slap while simultaneously defending why resorting to violence in this case was understandable.
—Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for slap 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
With President-elect Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, the stakes for Chinese exports are likely to be higher not just into the U.S., but into countries like Mexico, which is slapping tariffs of its own on goods like textiles.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 14 Jan. 2025
Canadian officials say that if Trump follows through with his threat of punishing tariffs, Canada would consider slapping retaliatory tariffs on American orange juice, toilets and some steel products.
—Jim Morris, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
Noun
The verbal glove slap unleashed a back-and-forth war of words via diss track, which, in retrospect, was never going to go Drake's way – Lamar, after all, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning lyricist.
—Rebecca Messina, The Week Uk, theweek, 30 Dec. 2024
In one breath, people acknowledged the social faux pas of the slap while simultaneously defending why resorting to violence in this case was understandable.
—Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for slap
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Dictionary Entries Near slap
Cite this Entry
“Slap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slap. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slap
1 of 3 noun1
: a quick sharp blow especially with the open hand
2
: a noise like that of a slap
slap
2 of 3 verb
slapped; slapping
1
a
: to strike with or as if with the open hand
b
: to make a sound like that of slapping
2
: to put, place, or throw with careless haste or force
slapped the book down on the desk
slap
3 of 3 adverbLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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