as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
public protests against the dictatorial government were always promptly slapped down
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Recent Examples of slap down
In the weeks leading up to the April 1 election, officials, including Tinley Park fire Chief Steve Klotz, had to slap down persistent rumors the Tinley and Orland fire agencies were studying a merger of operations.
—
Mike Nolan, Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2025
That's the same thing that Alabama did after the 2020 Census, only to be slapped down by the Supreme Court two years ago when a narrow court majority ruled that the state had illegally diluted the Black vote in violation of the Voting Rights Act.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 27 June 2025
Managing to directly stay out the Lively-Baldoni fray (though not the tabloids’ speculations of the state of Lively-Swift friendship) until recently, the controversy adverse Swift was quick to slap down the subpoena Baldoni’s team served on her at the beginning of this month.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 May 2025
An appeals court on Thursday slapped down the administration’s attempt to get out of providing more information about its efforts to bring back Abrego Garcia.
—Patrick Reis, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for slap down
Mike Nolan, Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2025
That's the same thing that Alabama did after the 2020 Census, only to be slapped down by the Supreme Court two years ago when a narrow court majority ruled that the state had illegally diluted the Black vote in violation of the Voting Rights Act.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 27 June 2025
Managing to directly stay out the Lively-Baldoni fray (though not the tabloids’ speculations of the state of Lively-Swift friendship) until recently, the controversy adverse Swift was quick to slap down the subpoena Baldoni’s team served on her at the beginning of this month.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 May 2025
An appeals court on Thursday slapped down the administration’s attempt to get out of providing more information about its efforts to bring back Abrego Garcia.
—Patrick Reis, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for slap down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slap down
Verb
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The large police presence, with a handful of riot vans positioned between the protestors and the stadium entrance, quelled any threat of violence until a small flashpoint close to half-time — tear gas was briefly used to disperse activists who attempted to break through police barricades.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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Those deployments provoked more protests, which, in turn, fuelled the Administration’s claims that troops are needed to quell them.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Their discoveries have opened new paths for therapies that either suppress or activate immune responses, depending on the disease.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
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Major evidence, including the alleged murder weapon, was suppressed as a result.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Their taste can be subdued by pairing them with ingredients like herbs and lemon juice, and they can be used in place of almost any fish.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
14 Oct. 2025
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Spiders have venom to subdue prey, but the majority have fangs that are too tiny to puncture human skin.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told Russian media on Saturday that Kim will sit on Xi's left side during Wednesday's parade, with Putin in the place of honor on the right.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
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Tabletop This style is small enough to sit on your dining table, a dresser or other prominent display area in your home.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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So put down those phones and enjoy the moment.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
10 Oct. 2025
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Spread out, put down their cans.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slap down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slap%20down. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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