swat

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈswät 

swatted; swatting

transitive verb

: to hit with a sharp slapping blow usually with an instrument (such as a bat or flyswatter)

swatted the ball for a home run

swat

2 of 4

noun (1)

1

: a powerful or crushing blow

2

: a long hit in baseball

especially : home run

swat

3 of 4

verb (2)

swatted; swatting; swats

transitive + intransitive

: to make a false report of an ongoing serious crime in order to elicit a response from law enforcement (such as the dispatch of a SWAT unit)

Special FBI Agent John Bennett of San Francisco said in a statement to CBS, that those who swat want to see "a tactical response" – specifically, they "want to see armed officers, they want to see a bomb, dogs, helicopters – that's all part of the fun."

—Bryn Lovitt

The congresswoman had just been "swatted," or subjected to a malicious act in which a person hides their identity, then calls the cops and reports a violent crime at the address of whomever they're targeting.

—Ryan Grenoble

swatting noun

Prosecutors say that in addition to initiating the swatting episode in Kansas … Mr. Barriss made dozens of other, similar calls to emergency and law enforcement agencies across the country during which he falsely reported bomb threats, active shootings and other criminal activity at high schools, shopping malls and even the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

—Matt Stevens and Andrew R. Chow

SWAT

4 of 4

noun (2)

ˈswät 

often attributive

: a police or military unit specially trained and equipped to handle unusually hazardous situations or missions

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• 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
• smack
• smite
• sock
• strike
• swipe
• tag
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• whack
• whale
• zap

Noun (1)

• 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
• smack
• smash
• sock
• spank
• stinger
• stripe
• stroke
• swipe
• switch
• thud
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• welt
• whack
• wham
• whop
• whap

Examples of swat in a Sentence

Verb (1)

She swatted the fly with a magazine.

The cat was swatting the injured mouse with its paw.

He swatted the tennis ball out of bounds.

Noun (1)

the impatient toddler got a swat on his wrist for stepping into the street by himself

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

So fanfare when approaching a milestone for two-baggers will never match that of swatting home runs. —Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2024

Most recently, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School was the target of a swatting threat that resulted in a response by SWAT teams and left the school on lockdown for hours in May. —Nicole Asbury, Washington Post, 25 June 2024

Noun

The two animals collide, the bear swats at the alligator, and the pair rumble. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 7 June 2024

Swatting cases against politicians are on the rise Several public officials were the subject of swat calls over the holidays. —Kayla Jimenez, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

English dialect, to squat, alteration of English squat

Verb (2)

verbal derivative of swat

Noun (2)

special weapons and tactics

First Known Use

Verb (1)

circa 1796, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

circa 1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

2007, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1968, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

swat

verb

ˈswät

swatted; swatting

: to hit with a quick hard blow

swat noun

swatter noun

Geographical Definition

Swat

geographical name

ˈswät 

river 400 miles (644 kilometers) long in Pakistan flowing into the Kabul River