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
1
a
: a blow with the open hand
b
: a quick sharp blow
2
: a noise like that of a slap
see also:
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
Zoey Goto, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2026
The Pentagon on Thursday, March 5, slapped a formal supply-chain risk designation on Anthropic, limiting use of a technology that a source said was being used for military operations in Iran.
—Jack Queen, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
News Services, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Leaving Polis off the guest list of a recent governors’ dinner at the White House was the latest slap in the face of many that include rescinded federal grants, a vetoed water bill, rejected disaster fund requests, and the loss of two federal agencies.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slap
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Cutting a dash through the gaggle of bargain hunters, professional pickers, and the just-plain-curious, Carlotta Champagne and Haley Warr make a beeline for the sign-in sheet and slap our names down.
—Zoey Goto, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2026
The Pentagon on Thursday, March 5, slapped a formal supply-chain risk designation on Anthropic, limiting use of a technology that a source said was being used for military operations in Iran.
—Jack Queen, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
Her power-play slap pass set up Pannek for the winning goal, seconds after Toronto’s Renata Fast was sent off for slashing.
—News Services, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Leaving Polis off the guest list of a recent governors’ dinner at the White House was the latest slap in the face of many that include rescinded federal grants, a vetoed water bill, rejected disaster fund requests, and the loss of two federal agencies.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
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 12 Mar. 2026.
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
