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
And that’s the big ol’ marker general manager Adam Peters has slapped down on the table, a year-plus into his stint here.
—
David Aldridge, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
But his vague inferences have been easily slapped down with clear details about prices not being met and no promises being made.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 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
Welcome to The Logoff: The Trump administration opened a new front in its war against Harvard this week, attempting to block all international students from attending the university — and swiftly getting slapped down by a federal judge.
—Cameron Peters, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for slap down
David Aldridge, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
But his vague inferences have been easily slapped down with clear details about prices not being met and no promises being made.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 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
Welcome to The Logoff: The Trump administration opened a new front in its war against Harvard this week, attempting to block all international students from attending the university — and swiftly getting slapped down by a federal judge.
—Cameron Peters, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for slap down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slap down
Verb
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There are glimpses of a backstage farce, with Nora trying to use a quickie with her married stage-manager lover (longtime Trier regular Anders Danielsen Lie) to quell a panic attack on opening night, then threatening to bolt.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
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The move seemed to surprise Fallon, who naturally tried to quell her tears by shouting at her.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The lawsuit alleges that for more than a decade, beginning at least as early as January 2015, Pepsi and Walmart used their dominant positions in the beverage and grocery markets to suppress price competition.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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The largest anti-government demonstrations to rock Iran in recent years intensified Friday night, fueling fears of growing fatalities as authorities battle to suppress the protests.—
Arsalan Shahla,
Fortune,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Nazism’s total domination politically and socially found an aesthetic counterpart in the visual reduction of bodies to things, ecstatically subdued before the hypnotic power of a leader, force, or sublime beauty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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Barack Obama also availed himself of caution, reluctance and NATO partners to use air power to subdue chaos on the ground in Libya.—
John Brummett,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
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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Smith was also put down on 12 and cashed in to score his 37th Test century, and is 129 not out overnight.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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The salt that is put down doesn't stay where it is applied.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slap down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slap%20down. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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