smackdown

noun smack·down \ ˈsmak-ˌdau̇n \

|Updated on: 5 Jul 2018

Definition of smackdown

1 : the act of knocking down or bringing down an opponent

2 : a contest in entertainment wrestling

3 : a decisive defeat

4 : a confrontation between rivals or competitors

Recent Examples of smackdown from the Web

For now, people are going with it until someone lays the smackdown.

— meirav devash, Allure, "Everything You Need to Know About CBD Oil in Beauty Products," 25 June 2018
The Supreme Court intervened in 2007, handing down yet another unanimous smackdown of the Federal Circuit.

— timothy b. lee, Ars Technica, "Why a 40-year-old SCOTUS ruling against software patents still matters today," 21 June 2018
And with three years having elapsed since the last compilation smackdown (2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron), expectations have been high.

— refinery29.com, "Daredevils: Two Stuntwomen Reveal How They Bring Marvel Characters To Life," 3 May 2018
Musk’s smackdown came in response to statements Pinker made on a Wired podcast released a few days prior.

— david z. morris, Fortune, "Elon Musk Blasts Harvard’s Steven Pinker Over Comments Dismissing the Threat of Artificial Intelligence," 3 Mar. 2018
The smackdown is the result of the NRA’s fanatical opposition to even the mildest reforms.

— stu bykofsky, Philly.com, "Uh-oh. The big, bad NRA is hearing footsteps | Stu Bykofsky," 7 Mar. 2018
Her best smackdowns are impossible to fully appreciate now: The men they were directed toward have deleted their original insults, presumably embarrassed by the verbal beating.

— monica hesse, Sun-Sentinel.com, "For Stormy Daniels, swatting away Twitter trolls is a work of art," 12 Mar. 2018
Khloé Lashes Out at Kourtney’s Distraction Kourtney’s constant lateness and seeming disinterest in spending time with her sisters has sparked a number of recent smackdowns with Khloé.

— lydia price, PEOPLE.com, "The Most Epic Keeping Up with the Kardashians Sibling Fights Ever," 2 Mar. 2018
Trump’s tariff smackdown seemingly threw Modi’s free-market appeal, delivered to the global elite, into sharper relief.

— tory newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202, Davos Edition: Trump trade officials and India may be on a collision course," 23 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'smackdown.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of smackdown

1997

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Combat Sports Terms

foil, riposte, welter

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smackdown

Definition of smackdown

Recent Examples of smackdown from the Web

First Known Use of smackdown

Other Combat Sports Terms

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smackdown

Definition of smackdown

Recent Examples of smackdown from the Web

First Known Use of smackdown

Other Combat Sports Terms

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