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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Recent Examples of claps
Anthony Edwards, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Apr. 2026
Tears flowed, and the audience held space for grief, offering supportive claps and chants.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 18 Mar. 2026
The latest in what appears to be an unending stream of storms thundered through the Bay Area on Tuesday, producing violent claps of thunder and lightning bright enough to light up momentarily the gray and sometimes dark sky.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
These were claps of relief and encouragement from a European audience bracing for a mauling like JD Vance’s onslaught last year.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
Lots of claps all around, as production in the area is still down significantly over five-year averages.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
Oscar-winning composer Daniel Blumberg was tasked with layering in claps, stomps and screams.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Listeners replied with claps and exclamations of eager agreement.
—Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
Some quarterbacks will inform their center that the plan is to snap the ball on two claps or sometimes even three.
—Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
His climber fails to get Camper Kyle to the ground in time, but Bauer claps enthusiastically.
—Calin Van Paris, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Poor Indigenous, Black, the people from the favelas, when the police go there and kill 120 people there, and the population basically claps and thinks that that’s great.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2025
Legacy is made from the small, repeatable disciplines no one claps for, but everyone benefits from.
—Cody Bjugan, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Audience member Najla Abdel Rahman Abbas claps along to the music, her face showing both sorrow and exuberance.
—Intessar Fadl Allah, Christian Science Monitor, 18 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
Noun
That’ll be the stormiest period of the weekend, with gusts up to 40 mph and potentially more claps of thunder.
—Anthony Edwards, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Apr. 2026
Tears flowed, and the audience held space for grief, offering supportive claps and chants.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 18 Mar. 2026
The latest in what appears to be an unending stream of storms thundered through the Bay Area on Tuesday, producing violent claps of thunder and lightning bright enough to light up momentarily the gray and sometimes dark sky.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
These were claps of relief and encouragement from a European audience bracing for a mauling like JD Vance’s onslaught last year.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
Lots of claps all around, as production in the area is still down significantly over five-year averages.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
Oscar-winning composer Daniel Blumberg was tasked with layering in claps, stomps and screams.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Listeners replied with claps and exclamations of eager agreement.
—Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
Some quarterbacks will inform their center that the plan is to snap the ball on two claps or sometimes even three.
—Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
Anderson stops at second base, claps his hands four times, then stands there quietly.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
His climber fails to get Camper Kyle to the ground in time, but Bauer claps enthusiastically.
—Calin Van Paris, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Poor Indigenous, Black, the people from the favelas, when the police go there and kill 120 people there, and the population basically claps and thinks that that’s great.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2025
Legacy is made from the small, repeatable disciplines no one claps for, but everyone benefits from.
—Cody Bjugan, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Audience member Najla Abdel Rahman Abbas claps along to the music, her face showing both sorrow and exuberance.
—Intessar Fadl Allah, Christian Science Monitor, 18 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claps
Noun
-
In the first slide, the movie star sat in a chair as Pita puts the finishing touches on her bangs with longer pieces on the sides.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Other times, they were woken by loud bangs.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown, neighbors can still hear the thumps.—
Tyler Jett,
Des Moines Register,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The music also slaps, synthesizing industrial, electro-pop and iPod party music into a work that feels honest and the right kind of raunchy.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The biopharmaceutical company's efforts come as demand for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis treatments booms.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Multicoin, especially, has been at the whims of crypto’s booms and busts.—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Another day, as Mom loads the children into the car, Jeremy tosses a basketball against the house, again and again, his passive aggression registering through the ball’s unyielding thuds and his own frozen gaze.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The call, which the filing says was made within two minutes of the thuds, was to an employee of the company that owned the development where Okland was hosting the open house.—
Karen Cortes,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Victor Caratini, whose two-run single in the first inning gave the Twins some breathing room, hit a sacrifice fly earlier in the game and both Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis had RBI knocks for the Twins in the win.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
7 Apr. 2026
-
A lot of the low end on the production really knocks, too.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The blasts killed more than 40 people and wounded roughly 4,000, according to Lebanese authorities, while Hezbollah later acknowledged that about 1,500 fighters were taken out of action.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
-
But his uppercase blasts, chest-thumping rants and coarse insults are more likely now to draw a Gallic shrug.—
Serge Schmemann,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Then Freeman woke up Friday morning to the news that was delivering gut punches throughout the baseball world, that Anderson had passed away Thursday at 53.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Benches cleared, and cooler heads did not prevail, though no punches were thrown.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Claps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claps. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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