as in slaps
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
an overhead branch suddenly fell and bonked him on the head
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonks
Verb
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Anderson slaps his hit down the right field line, just fair.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026 -
At the end of the night, during the bows, Butler slaps the guys playing her two antagonists gently on their butts, a gesture that would have jarred in most stagings but fully in keeping with the inclusive, humanistic vibe of this production.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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He wasn’t invited to the combine this winter and drew knocks from some evaluators for his lack of length and his inconsistency as a pass rusher.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Temperatures will be near 81 degrees on Monday, and then turn cooler on Tuesday through Thursday after a cold front knocks them back into the mid- to upper 60s.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The boy smacks him in the mouth and then immediately starts crying.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
-
An attack rears its ugly head, and the security team smacks it down.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Teal'c takes out some frustrations on an unlucky grunt who bangs him with a door at the start of every time loop, and O'Neill gets to (temporarily) sample the will-they side of his will-they-won't-they relationship with Carter.—
Daryl Baxter,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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Another bangs his head against the wall after expressing suicidal thoughts.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But Ohtani entered Wednesday with four doubles and 10 hits total in five games against the Angels and Padres.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2026
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After the Sabres were eliminated in the second round of the NHL playoffs with an overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday, Tuch and the Sabres have until July 1 to agree on a new contract before the 30-year-old winger hits the open market.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Verb
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With runners on the corners, Martinez whacks a two-run, RBI double to tie it at five.—
Zoe Collins Rath,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
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Then little Holly Wheeler and her 10-year-old friends, including the Season 5 favorite Derek (Jake Connelly), all swarm into the basement and take over the D&D table in a passing of the torch that basically whacks the audience over our collective heads.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Debris slams against the other side, whips beneath the door, slashing cuts into Jones’ and the doctor’s ankles.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2026
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Then, the giant lawyer puppet slams upright, sending the contestant back to the start.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
19 May 2026
Verb
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When Beulah’s ne’er-do-well son Rob-Will (Jai Courtney) drunkenly lobs slurs at Azul in a gas station parking lot, Azul reminds him his family’s been in Texas longer than the Jacksons — right before Rip punches Rob-Will out, of course.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
14 May 2026
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After beating the Detroit Pistons 117-113 in overtime Wednesday, the Cavs’ first road win of the 2026 playoffs, a win Friday at home punches those tickets.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bonks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonks. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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