1
as in shuts
to shove into a closed position with force and noise
please don't slam the door every time you step out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slaps
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
she slammed the ball deep into center field
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in collides
to come into usually forceful contact with something
the car slammed into the wall with a fearful crunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in attacks
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
slammed the cast members for forgetting their lines on opening night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in blows
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the stubborn nail one last slam with the hammer
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in claps
a loud explosive sound
shut the door with a loud slam
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in jails
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
sported a gang tattoo on his arm that had gotten him plenty of respect in the slam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in collisions
a forceful coming together of two things
the sudden slam of my head against the trunk of the car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of slams
Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 May 2026
In other words, automatic registration slams the courthouse door on women, but not on men, because registration is its own injury.
—Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
In the standard picture, particles gain energy at a termination shock, where the pulsar wind slams into surrounding material.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026
Hudson’s character plays dirty and slams Ness’ hand at tipoff.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
On stage, Cameron Winter leads an overall enthralling performance, as the group slams out songs back-to-back with little to say in between; no shenanigans, just a top-notch show.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
When Daisy slams the bedroom door in frustration, June can’t help but smile at the cliched rebellion.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Continue reading … ‘ABOMINATION’ — Turning Point USA slams Daily Mail over misleading Charlie Kirk murder coverage.
—FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
The shop held monthly poetry slams and won numerous local awards for best bookstore in the city.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Had his childhood dream come true, Kaszas would be supporting himself by executing body slams, headlocks and double leg takedowns as a professional wrestler.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
On the small screen, the influencer Gabriella Carr recently drew her sizable flock to a rejection spreadsheet, where the video creator and actress means to track all her professional door-slams with an eye to racking ’em up.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 4 Feb. 2026
Wilson had a pair of thunderous slams as well as converting a three-point play, pushing North Carolina to a 52-37 lead at the break.
—Arkansas Online, 1 Feb. 2026
From multimillion-dollar listings to body slams in Boca, Matt Maschler has mastered the art of the deal—and the spectacle that sells it.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
Pick it up and repeat 3 sets of 10 slams.
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 29 Jan. 2026
While his powerful slams and stellar play helped IU reach the NCAA Tournament in both his junior and senior years, the football team was a doormat in the Big Ten and an afterthought on campus.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
The league was designed to have four slams, or meets, with six event categories in which athletes could race for points and money.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Dec. 2025
Verb
Now, however, the team behind the new research believes the events are caused when a compact stellar remnant, like a black hole or a neutron star, slams into the universe's hottest class of star, massive stellar bodies called Wolf-Rayet stars.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 May 2026
In other words, automatic registration slams the courthouse door on women, but not on men, because registration is its own injury.
—Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
In the standard picture, particles gain energy at a termination shock, where the pulsar wind slams into surrounding material.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026
Hudson’s character plays dirty and slams Ness’ hand at tipoff.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
On stage, Cameron Winter leads an overall enthralling performance, as the group slams out songs back-to-back with little to say in between; no shenanigans, just a top-notch show.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
When Daisy slams the bedroom door in frustration, June can’t help but smile at the cliched rebellion.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Continue reading … ‘ABOMINATION’ — Turning Point USA slams Daily Mail over misleading Charlie Kirk murder coverage.
—FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
The shop held monthly poetry slams and won numerous local awards for best bookstore in the city.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
Jeanes and other residents also reject the idea that Wimbledon has to improve to keep pace with the other slams.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Had his childhood dream come true, Kaszas would be supporting himself by executing body slams, headlocks and double leg takedowns as a professional wrestler.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
On the small screen, the influencer Gabriella Carr recently drew her sizable flock to a rejection spreadsheet, where the video creator and actress means to track all her professional door-slams with an eye to racking ’em up.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 4 Feb. 2026
Wilson had a pair of thunderous slams as well as converting a three-point play, pushing North Carolina to a 52-37 lead at the break.
—Arkansas Online, 1 Feb. 2026
From multimillion-dollar listings to body slams in Boca, Matt Maschler has mastered the art of the deal—and the spectacle that sells it.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
Pick it up and repeat 3 sets of 10 slams.
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 29 Jan. 2026
While his powerful slams and stellar play helped IU reach the NCAA Tournament in both his junior and senior years, the football team was a doormat in the Big Ten and an afterthought on campus.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
The league was designed to have four slams, or meets, with six event categories in which athletes could race for points and money.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slams
Verb
-
Another shuts a door on an old-timer in the middle of his menacing monologue about an apocalyptic storm.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Plugging the metal end of the hose into the inlet engages the vacuum’s motor, turning the machine on; when the hose is unplugged, the system shuts itself off.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Anderson slaps his hit down the right field line, just fair.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Each meteoroid collides with Earth's upper atmosphere at 41 miles (66 km) per second, creating an incandescent trail of shocked, ionized air.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
4 May 2026
-
His beat is where a cloud dashboard becomes a construction project—where digital demand collides with factories, transformers, chips and cables.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Hantavirus is a rare but deadly disease that attacks the lungs and is typically contracted by humans through inhalation of particles contaminated with the urine, feces or saliva of a wild rodent.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
Sebastian Gorka, the senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council, said an immediate example would be for other countries to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran attacks commercial shipping.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The visit also comes as both sides have been trading blows ahead of the summit.—
Evelyn Cheng,Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
-
His saga has been built with blows of faith, discipline and a conviction rarely seen, even at the elite level.—
Jorge Ebro
May 6,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
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
Noun
-
The field office constantly coördinated with local social-services agencies, hospitals, funeral homes, jails.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
It was not considered controversial when the Obama administration placed immigration enforcement officials in county jails to coordinate the removal of individuals convicted of serious crimes, so that same level of cooperation should not be controversial today.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Similar giant elliptical basins exist on Mars and even Pluto, meaning the new modeling approach could help scientists reinterpret collisions across the solar system.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
9 May 2026
-
The teen’s death is the latest in a spate of serious collisions involving electric motorcycles and dirt bikes — some of which have led to serious injuries, death or charges for parents who allegedly allowed their minors to illegally ride the speedy devices.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slams. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
