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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
The songs were composed recently enough to address political events from this winter, and the slapdash artwork and YouTube-rip-quality mix suggest the band was too excited to slow down and consult many outside collaborators.
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Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 25 Feb. 2026
Tuesday’s decision is the latest judicial rebuke of the government’s maneuvering in Abrego Garcia’s case, which has come to symbolize the administration’s hardline — and, at times, slapdash — approach to immigration enforcement.
—Devan Cole, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Their design was unpolished, even primitive, seemingly to convey a sense of slapdash amateurishness.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Courts have barred similarly slapdash efforts to appoint a slate of Trump-friendly prosecutors, harass law firms the president dislikes, withhold federal funding from a range of institutions, and deploy the National Guard to peaceful cities despite opposition from blue-state governors.
—Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
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Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 25 Feb. 2026
Tuesday’s decision is the latest judicial rebuke of the government’s maneuvering in Abrego Garcia’s case, which has come to symbolize the administration’s hardline — and, at times, slapdash — approach to immigration enforcement.
—Devan Cole, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Their design was unpolished, even primitive, seemingly to convey a sense of slapdash amateurishness.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Courts have barred similarly slapdash efforts to appoint a slate of Trump-friendly prosecutors, harass law firms the president dislikes, withhold federal funding from a range of institutions, and deploy the National Guard to peaceful cities despite opposition from blue-state governors.
—Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slapdash
Cite this Entry
“Slapdash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slapdash. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slapdash
adjective
slap·dash
ˈslap-ˌdash 
-ˈdash
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