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
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
Between pushes, the nurse slips the soaked green sheet out from under me, slaps down a clean one.
—Erica Stern
june 9, Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
And then you'd be slapped down, immediately and politely, as is Hamm's way.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
Then this week, Steele slapped down a bid to stay his preliminary injunction.
—Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for slap down
Patrick Reis, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Between pushes, the nurse slips the soaked green sheet out from under me, slaps down a clean one.
—Erica Stern
june 9, Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
And then you'd be slapped down, immediately and politely, as is Hamm's way.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
Then this week, Steele slapped down a bid to stay his preliminary injunction.
—Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for slap down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slap down
Verb
-
The system is expected to hook around a large plume of African dust that has been quelling hurricane development for the past several weeks, Fox Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross wrote on his blog, Hurricane Intel.—
David Schutz,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Aug. 2025
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America’s military establishment tried to quell the outrage with a piece in Harper’s by Henry Stimson, a retired Secretary of War.—
Jane Mayer,
New Yorker,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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One woman described witnessing the harms of diseases that have been suppressed by vaccination, noting that her mother has experienced weakness in her limbs as the result of a childhood polio infection.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
4 Aug. 2025
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Four engines, one water tender, two dozers and two hand crews are working to suppress the fire.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Asia-Pacific markets were subdued overnight as a result.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
11 Aug. 2025
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The two also showed a demonstration of what a K9 takedown looks like, with Humphries acting as a target and K9 Bob subduing him.—
Richard Requena,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Stand Up to Cancer’s fundraising benefit show is putting down roots in Nashville for one night only.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
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If Hamas released the Israeli hostages still in captivity and put down its weapons, the argument goes, the war would be over.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slap down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slap%20down. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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