bonks

verb

present tense third-person singular of bonk
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
  1. slaps
  2. knocks
  3. smacks
  4. bangs
  5. hits
  6. whacks
  7. slams
  8. punches
Verb
  • Someone slaps a strip of medical tape across their lips, promises you deeper sleep, fewer snores and a sharper jawline by morning, then cuts to a dreamy sunrise shot.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • As the child puts his hands up, Bible says Campbell slaps them away, then drags him off the field.
    — Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of slaps
Verb
  • Anxiety knocks people off autopilot, sharpens attention and sends them looking for new information.
    — Monique Mitchell Turner, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Newmark report also knocks the draft deal for saddling Miami-Dade with too many risks of cost overruns and other risks that a private company would typically shoulder in a venture like this one.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of knocks
Verb
  • And there’s rarely time to digest one controversy before the next one comes barreling down the road and smacks us in the mouth.
    — Bernard Goldberg, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In a fight with yet more mercenaries, Reacher smacks a gun out of a guy’s hand using one of Philadelphia’s moving subway trains.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of smacks
Verb
  • Especially the guy who bangs a wrecking ball against the historic East Wing to make room for an incongruous ballroom monstrosity, who mars the sacred Oval Office with gold glitter and paves over the lovely Rose Garden.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • When selecting the perfect of-the-moment style for you (Jane Birkin bangs?
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 8 June 2026
Definition of bangs
Verb
  • Night one had Ye, Brandy, and Mario delivering hits onstage, while night two had Snoop Dogg and Robin Thicke.
    — Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Anudike-Uzomah managed only 25 quarterback pressures and 11 quarterback hits in three NFL seasons.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of hits
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
Definition of whacks
Verb
  • There’s seat-shaking violence in how the whale breaches the surface and slams its weight back down (the crafty sound design is by James Miller) and body horror in its claustrophobic, spongy inner chambers.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • There are currently more than 85,000 customers without power across the Northeast, including New York City and Connecticut, as an intensifying early-season nor’easter slams the region with strong wind, soaking rain and coastal flooding.
    — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of slams
Verb
  • Then the officer punches him in the face twice and uses a Taser.
    — Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Belgal is seen reversing and then driving out of the parking spot as one of the armed men punches the driver's side window and breaks the glass.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of punches
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.

Browse Nearby Words

bonking
bonks
bonne
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Cite this Entry

“Bonks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonks. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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