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 secondary route is a battle upward from the city of Ephyra to Mount Olympus to learn who is aiding Chronos in his siege of the mortal realm and quell it.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
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Rahm’s fantastic shot quelled any momentum Schauffele and Cantlay had built.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement Amazon still faces another lawsuit brought by the FTC in 2023, which alleged that the company is an exploitative monopoly and illegally suppressed competition among online marketplaces.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
26 Sep. 2025
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The threats are so vague, and government power so extensive, that this will undoubtedly drive widespread self-censorship and suppress free expression across many communities out of fear.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Twin Cities,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The color palette is subdued, with black and brown as the foundational shades and a burgundy, which is the fall seasonal color.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
22 Sep. 2025
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His selfless act allowed classmates to subdue the attackers and prevented what could have been a much larger tragedy.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
21 Sep. 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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The forces of the lords put down the revolt by slaying somewhere between seventy thousand and a hundred thousand peasants.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
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When the man didn't put down the machete and let go of the child, an officer shot him.—
Michelle Cruz,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slap down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slap%20down. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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