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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
Mad About the Boy, an adaptation of the slapdash third novel that starts streaming on Peacock on February 13, keeps the trope-laden structure, but finds surprising depth in a devastating plot twist.
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Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
The seemingly slapdash document to overhaul the nation’s spending priorities created confusion throughout the federal government.
—Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 29 Jan. 2025
Was all this slapdash music generation serving in some way to devalue music in my life?
Max Vehuni, one half of the indie-pop duo slenderbodies, talked me off that ledge.
—Chris Velazco, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
All that history means Delta is far from a slapdash app quickly thrown together to take advantage of Apple's new openness to emulation.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 18 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for slapdash
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Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
The seemingly slapdash document to overhaul the nation’s spending priorities created confusion throughout the federal government.
—Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 29 Jan. 2025
Was all this slapdash music generation serving in some way to devalue music in my life?
Max Vehuni, one half of the indie-pop duo slenderbodies, talked me off that ledge.
—Chris Velazco, Washington Post, 5 July 2024
All that history means Delta is far from a slapdash app quickly thrown together to take advantage of Apple's new openness to emulation.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 18 Apr. 2024
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 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slapdash
adjective
slap·dash
ˈslap-ˌdash 
-ˈdash
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