1
as in bangs
a loud explosive sound
a clap of thunder that woke the whole house up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in thumps
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 slaps
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 claps
Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025
Bounces reporter Ben Rothenberg noted that the president received some claps as well.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025
However, videos of a booing crowd with a few claps quickly made it to social media.
—Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
Cody Bjugan, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
And a couple claps their way through Swift's discography.
—Bryan West, The Tennessean, 8 Aug. 2025
Koko yelps and claps in surprise.
—David Cavell, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Green claps along, and is visibly impressed when Freeman hits that signature high note.
—Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2025
Detroit Pistons team owner Tom Gores claps during the press conference on July 30, 2021 at the Pistons Performance Center in Detroit, Michigan.
—Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2024
When the camera zooms in on Haines, the gnat can be seen buzzing around above her head (as evidenced in Entertainment Weekly's extremely serious investigative photos below) before Goldberg launches her military action and claps her hands while Haines speaks.
—EW.com, 3 Oct. 2024
As the crowd claps, Robert stares at Yas.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 29 Sep. 2024
Noun
Owen Wilson’s Stick has been renewed for a second season; the news was likely received to just mild golf claps among the online golfing community.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025
Bounces reporter Ben Rothenberg noted that the president received some claps as well.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025
However, videos of a booing crowd with a few claps quickly made it to social media.
—Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
Legacy is made from the small, repeatable disciplines no one claps for, but everyone benefits from.
—Cody Bjugan, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
And a couple claps their way through Swift's discography.
—Bryan West, The Tennessean, 8 Aug. 2025
Koko yelps and claps in surprise.
—David Cavell, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Green claps along, and is visibly impressed when Freeman hits that signature high note.
—Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2025
Detroit Pistons team owner Tom Gores claps during the press conference on July 30, 2021 at the Pistons Performance Center in Detroit, Michigan.
—Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2024
When the camera zooms in on Haines, the gnat can be seen buzzing around above her head (as evidenced in Entertainment Weekly's extremely serious investigative photos below) before Goldberg launches her military action and claps her hands while Haines speaks.
—EW.com, 3 Oct. 2024
As the crowd claps, Robert stares at Yas.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 29 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claps
Noun
-
Kidman, sporting new bangs, wore an oversized white button-down shirt over baggy jeans.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Nicole Kidman sported bangs with a fresh new wavy cut for the SS26 Chanel Runway Presentation for Paris Fashion Week.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The cilantro is key because its chlorophyllic sharpness slaps the stupor out of the starchy beans.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Richter asks before leaning on a chair upside down as Slater slaps his butt again.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Unlike earlier tech booms, this surge is not about speculation and hype, but structural reinvention.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Oil was discovered there in the 1920s, and the county went through booms and busts for decades, enriching wildcatters and devastating the landscape, until a lasting bust left Loving County a virtual wasteland with no running water, paved roads, schools, hospitals, or grocery stores.—
Mitch Moxley,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Bubba purposefully knocks a girl down with a dodgeball, and when Mary tells him to stop being mean, Bubba punches her.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
First, any major event such as a the emergence of DeepSeek that knocks the AI thesis could have a sizeable impact on the stock market.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The anachronistic, startling tall ship and black mast, the word Dash clearly visible upon her prow, supposedly took the blasts and disappeared again.—
Leanna Renee Hieber,
Big Think,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The first time was Game 5 of the 2021 NLCS when AJ Pollock and Chris Taylor each had multiple blasts.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ridley Scott, a filmmaker not known for pulling his punches, has issued a withering assessment on the health of Hollywood output right now.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The matches are pretty violent, with nasty punches to the face and vicious knees to the head.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Your second step should be to determine how high flood water is likely to rise in your area if a storm hits.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
As the fashion week cycle continues, celebrity beauty hits an all-time high.—
Essence,
Essence,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The line is composed almost entirely of rich neutral hues of navy, gray, and cream with occasional pops of color that add interest without compromising elegance.—
Caroline Reilly,
Robb Report,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The curation’s color palette also lent itself to ubiquitous fall hues, including cedar, blue quartz and chrysanthemum, which were enriched with pops of citrine, as per the brand’s collection description.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Claps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claps. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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