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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonks
Verb
-
Wilhelm enters the room, removes most of his clothing and gets into bed with her, slaps her, pushes her away and then caresses her face and cradles her.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026 -
That direct relationship is what separates a true farm to table operation from a restaurant that simply slaps the phrase on a marketing page.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Enough sunshine on Sunday should push temperatures back into the low 90s before a cooler breeze knocks us back to normal on Monday.—
Bill Kelly,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
-
And that's when a shot blasts through the door and knocks Lena to the ground.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
When selecting the perfect of-the-moment style for you (Jane Birkin bangs?—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
8 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Quick hits Cornerback Chau Smith-Wade, who is seeing time at safety, blitzed Pickett for a would-be sack during 11-on-11 work.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
-
He's recorded 135 total tackles, 24 sacks, and 53 quarterback hits.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
There's somatic empathy, the automatic wince when someone slams their hand in a door.—
Dr. Marcus Collins,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
In addition, an open lid that slams shut can pinch small fingers, and the water in a toilet can be a drowning hazard.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
During an intense scene, Simon punches a hole through a fellow actor’s face.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
3 June 2026
-
Food and drink Cosmo still punches above its weight on dining.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Bonks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonks. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
