smacking

adjective

smack·​ing ˈsma-kiŋ How to pronounce smacking (audio)
: brisk, lively
a smacking breeze

Examples of smacking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The percussion is the smacking lips of countless barbel, a type of catfish, in a feeding frenzy. Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2024 Perhaps as important would be the indirect effects: banks, Internet companies, and other organizations vital to any group’s success would shy away from anything smacking of domestic terrorism. Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 3 Oct. 2017 Video footage presented in court showed a counter-protester smacking Hood’s hat, prompting the NSC-131 leader to put the man in a chokehold. Hanna Krueger, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smacking.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of smacking was in 1820

Dictionary Entries Near smacking

Cite this Entry

“Smacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smacking. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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