1
—used to express a sound made by or as if by a gun
2
—used to indicate a sudden or instantaneous occurrence
zapped; zapping; zaps
1
a
: to get rid of, destroy, or kill especially with or as if with sudden force
b
: to hit with or as if with a sudden concentrated application of force or energy
c
: to irradiate especially with microwaves
2
a
: to propel suddenly or speedily
b
: to transport instantaneously
3
: to avoid watching (something, such as a television commercial) by changing channels especially with a remote control or by fast-forwarding
1
: to move with speed or force
2
: to change television channels using a remote control
Examples of zap in a Sentence
Verb
The flowers were zapped by the cold weather.
The aliens in the movie zapped people from spaceships.
She reheated her muffin by zapping it in the microwave for a few seconds.
I zapped through the channels for a while before falling asleep.
We tape the show so we can zap through the commercials.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 9 Aug. 2023
Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 16 June 2025
Aliens tend to fall into two distinct camps: those who want to zap us with lasers, and those who want to be our cool new intergalactic BFFs.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 3 June 2025
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 20 June 2025
While some meals were designed to be briefly heated in an oven, Emma found that a quick zap in the microwave could also do the trick.
—Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for zap
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Interjection
Yeah, truly, like passing a ball around and zip zap zopping.
—Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 9 Aug. 2023
Verb
At the end of the movie, after Reggie Jackson tries to assassinate Queen Elizabeth, Leslie Nielsen's Frank Drebin zaps the main baddie, played by Ricardo Montalbán, with a stun dart.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 16 June 2025
Aliens tend to fall into two distinct camps: those who want to zap us with lasers, and those who want to be our cool new intergalactic BFFs.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 3 June 2025
Noun
Once in a while a strange alchemy occurs when words spoken or sung, or actions taken, music played, reaches across the footlights and zaps and zings those who watch in awe.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 20 June 2025
While some meals were designed to be briefly heated in an oven, Emma found that a quick zap in the microwave could also do the trick.
—Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for zap
Cite this Entry
“Zap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zap. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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