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An early recorded use of slapdash comes from 17th-century British poet and dramatist John Dryden, who used it as an adverb in his play The Kind Keeper. "Down I put the notes slap-dash," he wrote. The Oxford English Dictionary defines this sense, in part, as "with, or as with, a slap and a dash," perhaps suggesting the notion of an action (such as painting) performed with quick, imprecise movements. The adjective slapdash is familiar today describing something done in a hasty, careless, or haphazard manner.
Examples of slapdash in a Sentence
the police department's investigation of the charges against the mayor was slapdash and not very thorough
Recent Examples on the Web
That is not the slapdash Trump way, and for good reason.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2025
But today’s mainstream movie products feel more slapdash than ever.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 8 Aug. 2025
The lead-up to Thursday fit the slapdash nature of Trump’s tariffs, which have been rolled out, walked back, delayed, increased, imposed by letter and renegotiated.
—Josh Boak, Twin Cities, 7 Aug. 2025
The lead-up to Thursday fit the slapdash nature of Trump’s tariffs, which have been variously rolled out, walked back, delayed, increased, imposed by letter and frantically renegotiated.
—Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapdash
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New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2025
But today’s mainstream movie products feel more slapdash than ever.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 8 Aug. 2025
The lead-up to Thursday fit the slapdash nature of Trump’s tariffs, which have been rolled out, walked back, delayed, increased, imposed by letter and renegotiated.
—Josh Boak, Twin Cities, 7 Aug. 2025
The lead-up to Thursday fit the slapdash nature of Trump’s tariffs, which have been variously rolled out, walked back, delayed, increased, imposed by letter and frantically renegotiated.
—Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapdash
Cite this Entry
“Slapdash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slapdash. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slapdash
adjective
slap·dash
ˈslap-ˌdash 
-ˈdash
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