spanked; spanking; spanks
: to strike especially on the buttocks with the open hand
plural spanks
: an act of spanking : a sharp slap or blow to the buttocks usually with the palm of the hand
A variety of approaches have been tried for dealing with this problem, ranging from gently holding the child in the chair to a quick spank, but it is not yet clear which of these approaches is most effective …—
David A. Lieberman
David A. Lieberman
spanked; spanking; spanks
: to move quickly, dashingly, or spiritedly
spanking along in his new car
Synonyms
Noun
- 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
- slap
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Examples of spank in a Sentence
Noun
delivered a quick spank to the child's bottom for disobedience
Recent Examples on the WebShania Russell, EW.com, 3 Oct. 2024
One family member told the Los Angeles Times in 1990 that their father never spanked them as children, but other relatives stood by the brothers.
—Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2024
Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024
Monroe grabbed him, gave him a spank and sent him back on course.
—Steve Knopper, Billboard, 6 Apr. 2022
See all Example Sentences for spank 
Verb
Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter Fans of American Horror Story: Asylum won’t be too scandalized by the cut spanking scene — beyond being a plausible incident, spanking was a common occurrence in the show’s sophomore outing.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 3 Oct. 2024
One family member told the Los Angeles Times in 1990 that their father never spanked them as children, but other relatives stood by the brothers.
—Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2024
Noun
Inter Miami underlined its status as MLS favorites with a 5-0 home spank of rival Orlando City Saturday on two goals apiece from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, leaving the Herons unbeaten (two wins, one draw) in three games.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024
Monroe grabbed him, gave him a spank and sent him back on course.
—Steve Knopper, Billboard, 6 Apr. 2022
See all Example Sentences for spank
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spank.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near spank
Cite this Entry
“Spank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spank. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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