slapped; slapping
1
a
: to strike sharply with or as if with the open hand
b
: to cause to strike with a motion or sound like that of a blow with the open hand
2
: to put, place, or throw with careless haste or force
slapped on a coat of paint
3
: to subject to a penalty
—usually used with with
slapped him with a $10 fine
4
: to assail verbally : insult
Synonyms
Verb
- bang
- bash
- bat
- belt
- biff
- bludgeon
- bob
- bonk
- bop
- box
- bust
- clap
- clip
- clobber
- clock
- clout
- crack
- hammer
- hit
- knock
- nail
- paste
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slog
- slug
- smack
- smite
- sock
- strike
- swat
- swipe
- tag
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- whack
- whale
- zap
Noun (1)
- 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
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Examples of slap in a Sentence
Verb
She slapped him across the face.
He slapped me on the back and said “Good job!”.
He called the dog by slapping his hand against his thigh.
Waves were slapping against the side of the boat.
Gentle waves slapped the side of the raft.
doctors used to give newborns a light slap to get them to start breathing
that comment is a slap to anyone who has ever served in the military
Adverb
I walked slap into the post.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2024
When not being watched, elephants were more likely to touch the recipient of their greeting with their trunk, or to use gestures that produce a sound, such as ear-flapping and slapping their ears against their neck.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 May 2024
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has threatened to slap an up-to-100% tariff on Chinese vehicle imports if he is elected in November.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 8 May 2024
Caught near the bottom of the celebratory dog pile, the outside hitter from Phoenix slapped the ground with his hand with Robinson’s arm wrapped around his neck.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
He was arrested in August 2022 on a slew of charges that include burglary, assault and false imprisonment, after his ex accused him of breaking into her home, slapping her and pointing a gun at several people.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
Two weeks after a North Carolina high school student allegedly slapped and threatened a teacher in an incident that was captured on video that went viral, the student has been indicted for kidnapping and assault on a government official, the Forsyth County DA announced Thursday.
—Brie Stimson, Fox News, 3 May 2024
Nick Fortes slapped a line drive that appeared destined for the left-field grass, but Darrell Hernaiz perfectly timed his leap to snag Fortes’ screamer and keep the Marlins out of the run column.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024
The fight involved a group of women who punched and slapped another screaming woman lying on the ground at DCA’s Pixar Pier as grade school children stood by and watched, according to an online video posted by Instagram user 714 Layla.
—Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 30 Apr. 2024
Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2024
The news came as a slap to members of the AAPI community — and beyond.
—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024
Boeing desperately needs a hard slap in the face to transform a mindset that’s strayed from the obsession with quality that made the planemaker great to a focus on speed and profits.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Even a child understands that violence begets only more violence, that a slap to the face creates the conditions for a return slap, or a fist, or a bullet.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
That mission begins with her rhetoric, which has a captivating directness that echoes the hard stentorian slap of Malcolm X’s firebrand bravado.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024
Things then turned physical; shoves turned into slaps.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 2 Feb. 2024
Courtesy of Devolver Digital Over by the pool, a slap fight breaks out.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 4 Apr. 2024
Paxton, the attorney general from Texas, once again bought his way out of legal troubles without so much as a hand slap.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
Verb
The postseason, however, can slap you in the face with the swiftness in which a season of success gets stopped in its tracks.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2024
When not being watched, elephants were more likely to touch the recipient of their greeting with their trunk, or to use gestures that produce a sound, such as ear-flapping and slapping their ears against their neck.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 May 2024
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has threatened to slap an up-to-100% tariff on Chinese vehicle imports if he is elected in November.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 8 May 2024
Caught near the bottom of the celebratory dog pile, the outside hitter from Phoenix slapped the ground with his hand with Robinson’s arm wrapped around his neck.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
He was arrested in August 2022 on a slew of charges that include burglary, assault and false imprisonment, after his ex accused him of breaking into her home, slapping her and pointing a gun at several people.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
Two weeks after a North Carolina high school student allegedly slapped and threatened a teacher in an incident that was captured on video that went viral, the student has been indicted for kidnapping and assault on a government official, the Forsyth County DA announced Thursday.
—Brie Stimson, Fox News, 3 May 2024
Nick Fortes slapped a line drive that appeared destined for the left-field grass, but Darrell Hernaiz perfectly timed his leap to snag Fortes’ screamer and keep the Marlins out of the run column.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024
The fight involved a group of women who punched and slapped another screaming woman lying on the ground at DCA’s Pixar Pier as grade school children stood by and watched, according to an online video posted by Instagram user 714 Layla.
—Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 30 Apr. 2024
Noun
From what Melvin has seen, stereotyping Lee as a slap hitter would be a mistake.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2024
The news came as a slap to members of the AAPI community — and beyond.
—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024
Boeing desperately needs a hard slap in the face to transform a mindset that’s strayed from the obsession with quality that made the planemaker great to a focus on speed and profits.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Even a child understands that violence begets only more violence, that a slap to the face creates the conditions for a return slap, or a fist, or a bullet.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
That mission begins with her rhetoric, which has a captivating directness that echoes the hard stentorian slap of Malcolm X’s firebrand bravado.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024
Things then turned physical; shoves turned into slaps.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 2 Feb. 2024
Courtesy of Devolver Digital Over by the pool, a slap fight breaks out.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 4 Apr. 2024
Paxton, the attorney general from Texas, once again bought his way out of legal troubles without so much as a hand slap.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near slap
Cite this Entry
“Slap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slap. Accessed 15 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slap
1 of 3 noun1
: a quick sharp blow especially with the open hand
2
: a noise like that of a slap
slap
2 of 3 verb
slapped; slapping
1
a
: to strike with or as if with the open hand
b
: to make a sound like that of slapping
2
: to put, place, or throw with careless haste or force
slapped the book down on the desk
slap
3 of 3 adverbLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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