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
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 slap
Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 3 Mar. 2026
Players circled the court and slapped five with fans.
—Doug Haller, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026
Jack Bloomfield, Coral Springs A public embarrassment Naming our airport after a man who has pitted Americans against each other over and over again is a slap in our faces.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slap
Verb
No incident got people talking more than when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, at the 2022 Oscars.
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 3 Mar. 2026
Players circled the court and slapped five with fans.
—Doug Haller, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Noun
Moore glided down from the right point and into a slap shot for his third goal of the year.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026
Jack Bloomfield, Coral Springs A public embarrassment Naming our airport after a man who has pitted Americans against each other over and over again is a slap in our faces.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slap
Verb
-
Her furious attempts to extricate herself from Ramirez ended with her smacking her head on the parking lot asphalt and Ramirez hitting her in the right eye, according to the arrest report.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Everson’s head appeared to smack into the goal post.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Giving these rewards is logistically difficult, expensive for the teacher, and insulting for the kid.—
Scott Ervin,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
-
She was detained in September and charged with posting propaganda critical of the Islamic Republic on social media and insulting its Supreme Leader and Islam, according to her son Reza Zarrabi, a political activist who lives in Germany.—
Philip Marcelo,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And the loss of Amarion Dickerson, who would’ve been a key rotation piece, ended up being a major blow for a team that was counting on everyone at the top of the rotation to deliver.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
His win in Istanbul in 2019 represented a crushing blow to Erdogan, whose own political ascent began as the city’s mayor.—
Beril Akman,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Harrison Ford was honored with the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award, a prize presented with warm sarcasm by Woody Harrelson.—
Jake Coyle,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In seeing their six-game winning streak halted just before hitting the friendly skies for a four-game road trip that tips off in Phoenix on Sunday, the Hornets (32-32) were victimized by Miami in the fourth quarter.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch in the fifth to push the Americans’ lead to 4-1.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If, like me, you’re not offended by raisins in your carrot cake, Costco’s carrot bar cake is available now in the bakery’s refrigerator section.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Will they be offended and shun us?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There was a sudden, loud thump, and Bernie Watermolen brought us awake with a yell that was enough to raise the dead.—
Doris DeCleene,
Outdoor Life,
25 Feb. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
One man repeatedly punches a man lying on the ground while another man appears to hold his feet.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Chicago police are searching for a man who allegedly punched another man in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on Monday evening.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
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 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
