as in suppressed
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
public protests against the dictatorial government were always promptly slapped down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 slapped down
Court strikes down California mask law The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals slapped down a California law that would have forced immigration agents and other law enforcement officers to display ID while on duty.
—
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Kalshi won a key case last week when a federal appeals court slapped down an attempt by New Jersey to curb the platform.
—Justin Papp,garrett Downs, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
Right away, he got slapped down by the Revolutionary Guard.
—NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
Time and time again, courts have slapped down these strong-arm tactics that lack the force of law.
—Bob Morgan, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
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
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Kalshi won a key case last week when a federal appeals court slapped down an attempt by New Jersey to curb the platform.
—Justin Papp,garrett Downs, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
Right away, he got slapped down by the Revolutionary Guard.
—NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
Time and time again, courts have slapped down these strong-arm tactics that lack the force of law.
—Bob Morgan, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slapped down
Verb
-
People were craving the culture and art that had been suppressed during his oppressive reign.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
27 May 2026
-
The Supreme Court spent much of the January oral arguments grappling with the biological advantage men tend to have over women in sports, and whether there is validity to claims that a man’s biological advantage can be suppressed by hormone drugs.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
While the emergency response quelled the threat of a violent explosion as of Monday night, 16,000 residents, largely from the city of Stanton, were still unable to return home until all evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday evening.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
-
Intense protests related to economic issues broke out in Iran in early 2026, but were harshly quelled.—
Alex Sundby,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
His entourage subdued Sirhan as a teenage busboy cradled the injured Kennedy.—
Sophia Zhang,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 May 2026
-
The employees subdued Scott in the parking lot and held him down until police arrived.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
But when owner and pitmaster Leonard Botello IV put down roots in the historic Heights area of town in 2019, the city embraced it wholeheartedly.—
Melissa Liebling-goldberg,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
-
Everyone in the community center put down their faux salads to stare at us.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slapped down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slapped%20down. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
