slams; slammed; slamming
1
: to close (something) in a forceful way that makes a loud noise
He slammed the door in my face.
She slammed the drawer shut.
He stepped inside and let the door slam behind him.
The window slammed shut.
2
: to set or throw (something) in a forceful way that makes a loud noise
In her anger, she slammed the ball against the fence.
—usually + downHe slammed the books down on the table and ran outside.
She slammed down the phone.
3
always followed by an adverb or preposition
: to hit something with a lot of force
The car slid on the ice and slammed into a tree.
Her arm slammed against the table.
4
informal
: to criticize (someone or something) harshly
Her decision is getting slammed in the press.
—often + forMany people have slammed the company for not paying its workers decent wages.
plural slams
1
a
: an act of closing something in a forceful way that makes a loud noise
—usually singular
He closed the book with a slam.
b
: a loud noise that is made when something is closed in a forceful way
—usually singular
I heard the slam of a car door in the driveway.
2
chiefly US
: a competition in which people read their poetry out loud so that it can be judged by other people
a poetry slam
slam poets
Cite this Entry
“Slam.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/slam. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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