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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
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.
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Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Four months after his death, a handful of late 1960s recordings Marley and the Wailers cut for American soul singer Johnny Nash and his business partner, Danny Sims, were rushed out on a slapdash compilation, abysmally titled Chances Are–the first cash-in of many to come.
—Eric Harvey, Pitchfork, 18 Jan. 2026
The initiative felt slapdash, and open to divergent interpretations.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2025
This is a face only Frankenstein's mom would love, put together like a slapdash jigsaw puzzle with the help of an industrial-grade stapler.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
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Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Four months after his death, a handful of late 1960s recordings Marley and the Wailers cut for American soul singer Johnny Nash and his business partner, Danny Sims, were rushed out on a slapdash compilation, abysmally titled Chances Are–the first cash-in of many to come.
—Eric Harvey, Pitchfork, 18 Jan. 2026
The initiative felt slapdash, and open to divergent interpretations.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2025
This is a face only Frankenstein's mom would love, put together like a slapdash jigsaw puzzle with the help of an industrial-grade stapler.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapdash
Cite this Entry
“Slapdash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slapdash. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slapdash
adjective
slap·dash
ˈslap-ˌdash 
-ˈdash
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