slap down

verb

Definition of slap downnext
as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force public protests against the dictatorial government were always promptly slapped down

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of slap down Council plans Hammersmith and Fulham, the local council where the trial is happening, has previously slapped down bike sharing companies for cluttering up streets, but Lime and Human Forest both operate there now. — Nicole Kobie, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025 Whether or not that played into the Board of Medicine’s actions, the body slapped down the Settlement Agreement and offered a Counter Settlement Agreement, which Simmons accepted. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025 Biden didn’t respond to those demands directly, leaving it to Schumer and Jeffries to slap down Trump’s debt-limit demand. — Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 24 Dec. 2024 Recent examples of people acting out of this same humble presumption—and being slapped down for it—are abundant. — Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for slap down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slap down
  1. quell
  2. suppress
  3. subdue
  4. put down
Verb
  • Hearing that others experienced the same symptom for a period helped quell her frenzy.
    — Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
  • To further soothe and calm the eye area, ginger and Centella Asiatica (known as cica) help quell inflammation.
    — Deanna Pai, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of quell
Verb
  • So could a weight loss medication that blocks opiate receptors along with suppressing appetite be effective?
    — Andrea Muraskin, NPR, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Consider the scenario of deeper economic stagnation: a prolonged downturn could significantly delay the recovery of the housing sector, exacerbating affordability struggles, and suppressing new residential construction.
    — Ali Hoss, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • Canada’s democracy has frayed and strained in the years since, but always held—Quebec’s independence movement was subdued by real concessions from the rest of the provinces, for instance.
    — Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
  • He was subdued after an officer fired a beanbag round, striking Hermanson and allowing police to arrest him.
    — Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of subdue
Verb
  • In Syria, then-President Bashar al-Assad put down a civil uprising with the help of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
    — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Syria has seen the worst outbreak of violence since the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad late last year, after armed men descended on Alawite heartlands on Thursday in what Syrian authorities said was an attempt to put down an insurgency by rebels still loyal to the former government.
    — Tricia Escobedo, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of put down

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Cite this Entry

“Slap down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slap%20down. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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