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
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
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 13 July 2025
Canada previously retaliated against tariffs with levies on U.S. goods, slapping tariffs on $20.7 billion of goods in March as well as 25% tariffs on non-USMCA compliant autos in April.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 July 2025
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
So the defense went out of its way to present witnesses who could corroborate Ventura Fine’s striking allegations of abuse.
Of the slaps, punches and most of all the kicks delivered to the bodies of young women.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for slap
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
In recent days, Trump has slapped tariffs of at least 20% set to begin Aug. 1 on more than a dozen countries.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 13 July 2025
Canada previously retaliated against tariffs with levies on U.S. goods, slapping tariffs on $20.7 billion of goods in March as well as 25% tariffs on non-USMCA compliant autos in April.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 July 2025
Noun
So this isn’t a slap at the spending aspect of CUT.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
So the defense went out of its way to present witnesses who could corroborate Ventura Fine’s striking allegations of abuse.
Of the slaps, punches and most of all the kicks delivered to the bodies of young women.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for slap
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Cite this Entry
“Slap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slap. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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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