1
as in smacks
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
she was so mad that she wanted to slap him right across the face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in insults
to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in
tired of jokes that slap people of faith
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in blows
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
doctors used to give newborns a light slap to get them to start breathing
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in offences
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
that comment is a slap to anyone who has ever served in the military
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of slaps
Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Oct. 2025
Richter asks before leaning on a chair upside down as Slater slaps his butt again.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
Belly, devastated by the betrayal, slaps Jeremiah and breaks up with him.
—Alexandra Hurtado, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Instead, Ted slaps him in the face, twice.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
Anthony thinks his fiancé wants a mother more than a partner, so Giuseppe slaps a pie into his face?
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2025
The main kid characters are teens navigating their parents getting remarried, so older children will be able to wrap their heads around that and are more apt to find that Anna's old band, Pink Slip, still slaps.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2025
Nick Miller, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Touted as the second-highest fine ever levied by the board, many observers struggled to view it as anything but the gentlest of wrist slaps.
—David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025
They were then categorized by behavior, including jumps, belly rolls, tail slaps, bow riding and even petting.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
The cilantro is key because its chlorophyllic sharpness slaps the stupor out of the starchy beans.
—Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Oct. 2025
Richter asks before leaning on a chair upside down as Slater slaps his butt again.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
Belly, devastated by the betrayal, slaps Jeremiah and breaks up with him.
—Alexandra Hurtado, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Instead, Ted slaps him in the face, twice.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
Anthony thinks his fiancé wants a mother more than a partner, so Giuseppe slaps a pie into his face?
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2025
The main kid characters are teens navigating their parents getting remarried, so older children will be able to wrap their heads around that and are more apt to find that Anna's old band, Pink Slip, still slaps.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
A couple of good back slaps and thumps from the adoring crowd.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Touted as the second-highest fine ever levied by the board, many observers struggled to view it as anything but the gentlest of wrist slaps.
—David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025
They were then categorized by behavior, including jumps, belly rolls, tail slaps, bow riding and even petting.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaps
Verb
-
Andor hates him on sight, which only intensifies when Berend smacks around his mother and tears up the apartment looking for proof that Klára has deceived the boy with idealized fictions about his origins.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Vocals are sped up into squiggles, instruments are reversed and gated, percussion smacks you in the face and then suddenly vanishes.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In the case of Governor Pritzker insults his body, body shamed him.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
-
No matter how many times Putin insults the president and ignores his calls for a total ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump returns for more humiliation.—
Trudy Rubin,
Mercury News,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Hockey players aren’t known for being shy about fighting over different plays on the ice, but Wayne Gretzky and his current compatriots have learned not to come to blows.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Rancorous debate in the GOTW meeting room as the panel nearly came to blows, with Broncos-Eagles supporters threatening a walkout as Bucs-Seahawks advocates were kicking over chairs.—
Greg Cote
October 2,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Bubba purposefully knocks a girl down with a dodgeball, and when Mary tells him to stop being mean, Bubba punches her.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
First, any major event such as a the emergence of DeepSeek that knocks the AI thesis could have a sizeable impact on the stock market.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Think of the chatbots that enrage customers, copy that erases brand voice, email that offends prospects, or sales outreach that overwhelms without engaging.—
Andrea Hill,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Ridley Scott, a filmmaker not known for pulling his punches, has issued a withering assessment on the health of Hollywood output right now.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The matches are pretty violent, with nasty punches to the face and vicious knees to the head.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Your second step should be to determine how high flood water is likely to rise in your area if a storm hits.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
As the fashion week cycle continues, celebrity beauty hits an all-time high.—
Essence,
Essence,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Content that outrages, polarizes or triggers anxiety keeps us watching.—
Avital Pardo,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slaps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaps. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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