1
as in bang
a loud explosive sound
a clap of thunder that woke the whole house up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in thump
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
a sharp clap to the head of the disrespectful youth
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
clapped him on the back as a friendly gesture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of clap
Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026
The shows are still infamously long, presented as a clap-a-thon, broken up by speeches and jokes calibrated for their specific cultural moment (albeit with varying degrees of success).
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2026
Calin Van Paris, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Not just clapping, but pounding his fists against his chest.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clap
Noun
Around the world with both hands and clap.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026
The shows are still infamously long, presented as a clap-a-thon, broken up by speeches and jokes calibrated for their specific cultural moment (albeit with varying degrees of success).
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
His climber fails to get Camper Kyle to the ground in time, but Bauer claps enthusiastically.
—Calin Van Paris, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Not just clapping, but pounding his fists against his chest.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clap
Noun
-
Swift leaned into the soft romance of her outfit with an undone half-up hairstyle with her signature bangs brushed to the side for a dreamy effect.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Cyrus has kept the spirits high by embodying her beloved character in a series of colorful, sequin, and rhinestone-studded looks on red carpets, even returning to that signature Hannah Montana blonde and set of bangs.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The experimental jet, part of NASA’s Quesst mission, is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound while producing only a soft sonic thump instead of a disruptive boom.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
-
At its best, the music’s blackout-drunk thump-thump functions more like an anxious heartbeat.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Airlines across the region, like Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific are slapping hefty fuel surcharges on flights; Vietnam and the Philippines are even weighing whether to ground planes.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
This month, the influential environmental group Conservation Colorado filed ballot measures with the state elections office that would slap stricter penalties on the energy industry for the pollution and contamination that result from its operations.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The governor has long been an ally of Silicon Valley dating back to his days as a supervisor and later mayor of San Francisco in the late 1990s and early 2000s during the dot-com boom.—
Lia Russell
March 25,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The post-pandemic years have been defined by a real estate boom, population surge and increase in jobs, especially in and around the downtown area.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Virginia made one last push, cutting TCU’s lead to 65-55, but the Horned Frogs quickly delivered the knockout blow as Miles knocked down a 3 and Suarez hit sophomore center Clara Silva for a layup to end Virginia’s hopes of another upset.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
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The Israeli military later said raw materials are processed for enrichment at the Yazd plant and the strike was a major blow to Iran’s nuclear program.—
Farnoush Amiri,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Then reality smacks you in the face.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
That is another area in which dreams smack into the reality of Cuban state, which owns 80% of all arable land.—
Sarah Moreno
Updated March 24,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Gruber followed Newton’s first goal with a blast from 20 yards out in the 23rd minute.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
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The blast could be heard as far as 11 miles, people familiar with the plant operations told Reuters.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For the past 20 days, Weinberg, a farmer and doula, has been living between the thud of Hezbollah missiles and the crack of Israeli artillery.—
Lior Soroka,
Washington Post,
20 Mar. 2026
-
That polish doesn’t stop it from being seriously grating at times, though, especially when some of its jokes land with a thud.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clap. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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