as in slap
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
the impatient toddler got a swat on his wrist for stepping into the street by himself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to smack
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
didn't sleep a wink all night because she was too busy swatting mosquitoes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of swat
Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 25 Dec. 2024
Moments after Betts’ three-run swat, Jackson Merrill prevented further damage in highlight fashion.
—Dennis Lin, The Athletic, 13 Apr. 2024
Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
And swatting, which has been on the FBI’s radar for decades, can be a tough crime to prosecute.
—Hadas Gold, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swat
Noun
On Wednesday, Brunson was victim to two highlight swats: one with Wemby feet away but using his wingspan to swat the opening trey in the first half and another on a floater attempt that was initially deemed goaltending.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 25 Dec. 2024
Moments after Betts’ three-run swat, Jackson Merrill prevented further damage in highlight fashion.
—Dennis Lin, The Athletic, 13 Apr. 2024
Verb
Davis was then swatted on a drive to the rim and Toppin followed with a score in the paint to nudge Texas Tech ahead 81-78 with 1:41 left.
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
And swatting, which has been on the FBI’s radar for decades, can be a tough crime to prosecute.
—Hadas Gold, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swat
Noun
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Two minutes later, Pastrnak redirected a slap pass from Morgan Geekie into the net to tie it 2-all.—
Jimmy Golen,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2025
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Closing the door to these studios during the extreme hype of a console’s launch window would be a slap to the face.—
Jason Evangelho,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Pennsylvania’s drift to the right was the fourth largest of the seven, smack in the middle.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
4 Apr. 2025
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Still, the Yankees managed to make things interesting in the ninth inning, as Volpe smacked a three-run homer off Arizona lefty A.J. Puk to cut the deficit to one.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Rami Sinno is crouched beside a filing cabinet, wrestling a beach-ball sized disc out of a box, when a dull thump echoes around his laboratory.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
2 Apr. 2025
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Then the silence was broken by the loud thump of Olive’s .38/40.—
Horace R. Hinkley,
Outdoor Life,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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During their drive back to the house, Leo slams on the brakes.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2025
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Paxton and Cornyn have traded barbs back and forth for years, with the attorney general slamming Cornyn’s votes in favor of additional U.S. aid to Ukraine and bipartisan legislation on gun safety following the 2022 Uvalde school shooting.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The result is just tit-for-tat subversion and another blow to America’s supposedly nonpartisan system of justice.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
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More price hikes provide a psychological blow that shakes consumer confidence.—
Rohit Arora,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The American League East, almost always led in spending by the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, now has another club knocking at the vault door.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
You could be struck by falling debris or knocked to the ground.—
Maya Wei-Haas,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Financial markets ended a tumultuous week with a thud, as stocks tumbled for a second straight day on concerns about the economic fallout from new U.S. tariffs and the prospects of a global trade war.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2025
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Asian equities ended the week with a thud as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia fell more than -1% as tariff talk (terror?) curtails animal spirits and Indonesia closed for Hindu Saka New Year.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Lebanon's state news agency said Israeli artillery hit two towns in southern Lebanon and that three other towns close to the border were hit by airstrikes.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
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Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swat. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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