1
as in to smack
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
she was so mad that she wanted to slap him right across the face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to insult
to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in
tired of jokes that slap people of faith
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
doctors used to give newborns a light slap to get them to start breathing
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
that comment is a slap to anyone who has ever served in the military
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of slap
Justin Worland, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
Sometimes the figure tries and fails to stand up, slapping itself with floppy, almost boneless limbs.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Yes, the Old Fashioned is typically a boozy, whiskey-forward, slap-you-across-the-face thing, and, yes, chamomile is typically a bedtime, steaming mug, snuggle-up-under-a-blanket thing.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slap
Verb
Over the past few years, the country has slapped a variety of restrictions on Chinese panels in hopes of fostering a domestic manufacturing industry.
—Justin Worland, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
Sometimes the figure tries and fails to stand up, slapping itself with floppy, almost boneless limbs.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
After faking a slap shot, Kucherov had sent a pass down to Guentzel.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Yes, the Old Fashioned is typically a boozy, whiskey-forward, slap-you-across-the-face thing, and, yes, chamomile is typically a bedtime, steaming mug, snuggle-up-under-a-blanket thing.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slap
Verb
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Within seconds, Perez smacked a cellphone out of the man's hand, swung at his head and tackled him to the ground.—
Sheridan Hendrix,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
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But tens of thousands of films are made each year, and quite a few of them break the rules, defy conventional narrative expectations and smack us deep in our souls.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To do so would be rude, politically perilous, insulting to our biggest trade partner and just plain weird.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Even if their tastes differ from yours, true friends shouldn’t insult your honest self-expression.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Now there’s clear animosity between the teams, which is intriguing for the casual viewer but a blow to the curling community.—
Julia Frankel,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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In an attempt to cushion this blow, Congress created a $50-billion Rural Health Transformation Project.—
Ana B. Ibarra,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, sitcoms like Friends marked a movement toward irony in comedy with its trademark tongue-in-cheek banter and sarcasm, Thompson explains.—
Liz Regalia,
Parents,
31 Jan. 2026
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Eby quipped with her usual dry sarcasm.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As former agent and cap expert Joel Corry told me, the amount that Ross agrees to pay of Tagovailoa’s 2026 salary (for a new team) would not have much effect on his Dolphins’ dead money cap hit provided the trade is made after June 1.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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Some of the students at Naperville North tried to mimic the coach’s actions, working on their technique, while other appeared to be more focused on hitting the ball to their friend as hard as possible.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Northern publishers expurgated literary texts for fear of offending slaveholders; antislavery publications were barred from being mailed in the South.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
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Perpetually offended, safe spaces, censoring free speech, culture of victimhood.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Pitchers and catchers report This week, Albernaz gets a glimpse of his pitching staff and catchers, before the thump of an offensive lineup joins the workouts.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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For what felt like an eternity — but was really 20 minutes — the whole place was enveloped in an eerie silence, the only sound being the steady thump of techno-pop playing through the loudspeakers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The police statement claims that upon being released, LaBeouf struck the same man with his fists before allegedly punching another man in the nose.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Feb. 2026
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Additionally, the actor assaulted another man by punching him in the nose, according to police.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
Video
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Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Cite this Entry
“Slap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slap. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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