1
: characteristic taste or flavor
also
: a perceptible taste or tincture
2
: a small quantity
smacked; smacking; smacks
1
: to have a taste or flavor
2
: to have a trace, vestige, or suggestion
a proposal that smacks of treason
: a sailing ship (such as a sloop or cutter) used chiefly in coasting and fishing
smacked; smacking; smacks
1
: to close and open (lips) noisily and often in rapid succession especially in eating
2
a
: to kiss with or as if with a smack
b
: to strike so as to produce a smack
: to make or give a smack
1
: a quick sharp noise made by rapidly compressing and opening the lips
2
: a loud kiss
3
: a sharp slap or blow
4
US, informal
: boastful or insulting language especially between opponents : smack talk, trash talk
—usually used in the phrase talk smack
The college basketball season is barely a month old, yet the top two candidates for national player of the year are already talking smack.—
Grant Wahl
Grant WahlSynonyms
Noun (1)
- ace
- bit
- crumb
- dab
- dram
- driblet
- glimmer
- hint
- lick
- little
- mite
- nip
- ounce
- particle
- peanuts
- ray
- scintilla
- scruple
- shade
- shadow
- shred
- skosh
- smell
- smidgen
- smidgeon
- smidgin
- smidge
- snap
- soupçon
- spark
- spatter
- speck
- splash
- spot
- sprinkling
- strain
- streak
- suspicion
- tad
- touch
- trace
Verb (2)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- belt
- biff
- bludgeon
- bob
- bonk
- bop
- box
- bust
- clap
- clip
- clobber
- clock
- clout
- crack
- hammer
- hit
- knock
- nail
- paste
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slog
- slug
- smite
- sock
- strike
- swat
- swipe
- tag
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- whack
- whale
- zap
Noun (3)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- douse [British]
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slug
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Examples of smack in a Sentence
Adverb
She dropped the book smack in the middle of the table.
The ball hit me smack in the face.
Recent Examples on the WebKatherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024
In Australia, Sydney is smack dab in the middle of the 2028 path, with 3 minutes and 49 seconds of totality.
—Maya Silver, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2024
The evolution of those changes will incrementally lead to generative AI being smack dab in the middle of the doctor-patient relationship, referred to here as the doctor-AI-patient relationship.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
Ah, right smack dab in the middle of the latest adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel, which just sort of stopped.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 16 Jan. 2024
The Nuggets swept the Lakers in the Western Conference finals and wound up winning the NBA championship, and have been taking smack since.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2023
Conveniently, there's one smack dab in the middle of downtown.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2024
How no kid just went bounce [smack motion] is beyond me.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 29 Feb. 2024
Stephens suddenly found that his acreage was smack dab in the best place in the world to apply these new techniques.
—Christopher Helman, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
Chicago residents and tourists have smacked about 100 bottles of ketchup from the stand in the last few weeks, Heinz said.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
The Canes smacked 19 hits Tuesday, 10 of them for extra bases.
—Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024
The man smacked him in the back of the head and, in Spanish, told him not to lie.
—The Courier-Journal, 28 Mar. 2024
With still no outs recorded, Jake Cronenworth smacked a two-run triple to the right-field corner, prompting an early mound visit from pitching coach Mark Prior.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Clearly, the Federal Reserve’s attempts to cool the economy and its problematic inflation smacks numerous household budgets.
—Jonathan Lansner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024
Falling unceremoniously, smacking the court again – but with a smile, because there was nothing left but to smile.
—Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 9 Mar. 2024
There was a point in my high school career, smack dab in the middle of the 2010s—the dog days of the Indie Sleaze Era—where a certain pair of boots became all the rage.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2024
Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2023
Then came the extracurricular activities that could have been easily predicted since both coaching staffs were talking smack before the game in front of players.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023
The debut came smack in the middle of the actors’ and writers’ strikes.
—Rebecca Angelo, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2023
The fact that the N.B.A. draft occurred smack in the middle of the Paris men’s wear shows was something of a cosmically appropriate coincidence.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 23 June 2023
The sharks’ diets fell smack between a pure herbivore and a pure carnivore, the researchers report, meaning whale sharks are actually omnivores.
—Roni Dengler, Discover Magazine, 16 Jan. 2019
But the concerns about environmental fallout ran smack into a wall of decades-old law.
—Ken Ward Jr., ProPublica, 26 Apr. 2023
Yet those preferences are running smack into a push by employers to get people back in the office.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2023
The famous brothers break down plays, talk smack to each other and welcome special guests.
—Dallas News, 28 Sep. 2021
Noun
The Gardens Hotel may be located smack in the middle of Old Town, but this small, ultra-boutique hotel manages to deliver a beautiful sanctuary space filled with plants, birds, water features, and tranquility.
—Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024
In Australia, Sydney is smack dab in the middle of the 2028 path, with 3 minutes and 49 seconds of totality.
—Maya Silver, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2024
The evolution of those changes will incrementally lead to generative AI being smack dab in the middle of the doctor-patient relationship, referred to here as the doctor-AI-patient relationship.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
Ah, right smack dab in the middle of the latest adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel, which just sort of stopped.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 16 Jan. 2024
The Nuggets swept the Lakers in the Western Conference finals and wound up winning the NBA championship, and have been taking smack since.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2023
Conveniently, there's one smack dab in the middle of downtown.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2024
How no kid just went bounce [smack motion] is beyond me.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 29 Feb. 2024
Stephens suddenly found that his acreage was smack dab in the best place in the world to apply these new techniques.
—Christopher Helman, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
Verb
In its early years, it was located smack in the middle of the grounds, a beaconing festival-goers with beats, cirque performances and the all-important misters.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
Chicago residents and tourists have smacked about 100 bottles of ketchup from the stand in the last few weeks, Heinz said.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
The Canes smacked 19 hits Tuesday, 10 of them for extra bases.
—Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024
The man smacked him in the back of the head and, in Spanish, told him not to lie.
—The Courier-Journal, 28 Mar. 2024
With still no outs recorded, Jake Cronenworth smacked a two-run triple to the right-field corner, prompting an early mound visit from pitching coach Mark Prior.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Clearly, the Federal Reserve’s attempts to cool the economy and its problematic inflation smacks numerous household budgets.
—Jonathan Lansner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024
Falling unceremoniously, smacking the court again – but with a smile, because there was nothing left but to smile.
—Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 9 Mar. 2024
There was a point in my high school career, smack dab in the middle of the 2010s—the dog days of the Indie Sleaze Era—where a certain pair of boots became all the rage.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2024
Adverb
The account of how Yentl came to be falls smack in the middle of Streisand’s new, nearly 1,000-page memoir, My Name Is Barbra, and for that reason alone is an important keystone for understanding her.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2023
Then came the extracurricular activities that could have been easily predicted since both coaching staffs were talking smack before the game in front of players.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023
The debut came smack in the middle of the actors’ and writers’ strikes.
—Rebecca Angelo, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2023
The fact that the N.B.A. draft occurred smack in the middle of the Paris men’s wear shows was something of a cosmically appropriate coincidence.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 23 June 2023
The sharks’ diets fell smack between a pure herbivore and a pure carnivore, the researchers report, meaning whale sharks are actually omnivores.
—Roni Dengler, Discover Magazine, 16 Jan. 2019
But the concerns about environmental fallout ran smack into a wall of decades-old law.
—Ken Ward Jr., ProPublica, 26 Apr. 2023
Yet those preferences are running smack into a push by employers to get people back in the office.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2023
The famous brothers break down plays, talk smack to each other and welcome special guests.
—Dallas News, 28 Sep. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to smack
Dictionary Entries Near smack
Cite this Entry
“Smack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smack. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
smack
1 of 5 noun1
: characteristic or slight taste or flavor
2
: a small quantity
smack
2 of 5 verb
: to have a flavor, trace, or suggestion
smack
3 of 5 verb1
: to close and open the lips noisily especially in eating
2
: to kiss usually loudly
3
: to make or give a sharp slap or blow
smack
4 of 5 noun1
: a quick sharp noise made by rapidly opening and closing the lips
2
: a loud kiss
3
: a sharp slap or blow
smack
5 of 5 adverb
: in a square and sharp manner : directly
hit me smack in the face
Etymology
Noun
Old English smæc "a characteristic taste or flavor"
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