1
as in slits
to penetrate with a sharp edge (as a knife)
the tire appears to have been deliberately slashed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in hides
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
wildly slashing the ground with his club and never once hitting the golf ball he was aiming at
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 slashes
Sam Reed, Glamour, 9 Jan. 2026
There, Constance slashes her face with a knife.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
Constance, who now knows that the Nolans killed Willem, slashes Dahila’s cheek open with a knife.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Duct tape slashes across the carpet.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2025
As revealed in the opening moments of Episode 2, Karen breaks her now-empty wine bottle and gets in some good hits with the jagged glass before the monster slashes her chest and takes Holly into the alternate dimension known as The Upside Down.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
Take the quiz here … RETAIL REVIVAL – Target slashes prices on thousands of items in bid to revive slipping sales.
—FOXNews.com, 19 Nov. 2025
The results come as Merck slashes $3 billion in costs by the end of 2027, and prepares to offset revenue losses from the upcoming patent expiration of Keytruda in 2028.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
Mogollon Monster The Mogollon Monster is Arizona's Bigfoot, a legendary creature said to inhabit the Mogollon Rim, a rugged and densely forested area that slashes across the state.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
The poster of the shocking video, which has over 14,000 views, added that state officials are aware of the incident and that the turtle shown in the clip was deceased when the man handled it, and that the sea animal had three deep slashes on its shell.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
The leaves began to drop and the little nightingale continued to fly, surrounded by falling slashes of yellow.
—Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
Icke’s scripts are full of slashes that mark interruptions, or brackets that indicate things an actor is supposed to imply not but say.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
If your wallet is already burning a hole in your pocket, prepare for price slashes by planning ahead for Black Friday 2025.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 12 Nov. 2025
Justice Seekers are transforming fashion into armor through aggressive details like heavy distressing, slashes, spikes and harsh dye treatment.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
The gallery Robilant+Voena, which specializes in Old Masters and post-War Italian art, sold three works by Lucio Fontana, two of which contain the artist’s signature slashes.
—Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
At some point, Alice slashes the tires on Rachel’s car.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 9 Jan. 2026
There, Constance slashes her face with a knife.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
Constance, who now knows that the Nolans killed Willem, slashes Dahila’s cheek open with a knife.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Duct tape slashes across the carpet.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2025
As revealed in the opening moments of Episode 2, Karen breaks her now-empty wine bottle and gets in some good hits with the jagged glass before the monster slashes her chest and takes Holly into the alternate dimension known as The Upside Down.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
Take the quiz here … RETAIL REVIVAL – Target slashes prices on thousands of items in bid to revive slipping sales.
—FOXNews.com, 19 Nov. 2025
The results come as Merck slashes $3 billion in costs by the end of 2027, and prepares to offset revenue losses from the upcoming patent expiration of Keytruda in 2028.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
Mogollon Monster The Mogollon Monster is Arizona's Bigfoot, a legendary creature said to inhabit the Mogollon Rim, a rugged and densely forested area that slashes across the state.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching).
—Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
The poster of the shocking video, which has over 14,000 views, added that state officials are aware of the incident and that the turtle shown in the clip was deceased when the man handled it, and that the sea animal had three deep slashes on its shell.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
The leaves began to drop and the little nightingale continued to fly, surrounded by falling slashes of yellow.
—Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
Icke’s scripts are full of slashes that mark interruptions, or brackets that indicate things an actor is supposed to imply not but say.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
If your wallet is already burning a hole in your pocket, prepare for price slashes by planning ahead for Black Friday 2025.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 12 Nov. 2025
Justice Seekers are transforming fashion into armor through aggressive details like heavy distressing, slashes, spikes and harsh dye treatment.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
The gallery Robilant+Voena, which specializes in Old Masters and post-War Italian art, sold three works by Lucio Fontana, two of which contain the artist’s signature slashes.
—Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slashes
Verb
-
And while Americans’ overall ideological self-identification looks stable in the aggregate (37% very conservative/conservative, 34% moderate, 25% very liberal/liberal), a January 2025 Gallup poll shows that this steadiness hides tectonic tensions tugging beneath the surface.—
Robert T.F. Downes,
Hartford Courant,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Now, Scieszka’s debut filters Tuck Everlasting-esque immortality through the social media age—examining how someone hides their eternal lifespan from facial recognition technology and venture capitalists looking to capitalize upon family property and the ultimate anti-aging secrets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This year's event, which is hosted by Chelsea Handler, also drew Teyana Taylor, Jessica Biel, Meghann Fahy and more stars who stepped out in classic silhouettes, modern suiting, dangerously high slits and so much more.—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Fixmatti Two-Piece Knit Sweatsuit Between the high-neckline, side slits, cuffed hemline, and wide-leg pants, this Fixmatti Two-Piece Knit Sweatsuit screams quiet luxury.—
Alyssa Morin,
InStyle,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Place slices in a dry skillet over medium heat.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Place slices 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.—
Jessica Saari Christensen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Or whips around his defender in a bold pirouette.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Marty whips off his sport coat and throws it in the crowd.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Christopher Patterson's mother held back tears as his family and friends gathered on Friday outside the home where the 23-year-old lost his life two days before.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Narrated by Colm Feore and James Hyndman in the English and French versions of the movie, respectively, the 17-minute stop-motion short follows a poor young boy who discovers a girl whose tears, evoked by a sad home life, turn into pristine pearls.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Eleven flies up to be face-to-face with the Mind Flayer, rips out his throat, jumps inside, and in one sleek-as-hell move, rips Vecna down from the Mind Flayer power source he’s been plugged into.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
-
In the clip, Oshry, who welcomed her first son Reuben, with her husband, Ben Soffer, in May, reaches into her fridge to grab a head of cabbage, then rips open her animal-print bathrobe to show a compression bra stuffed with cabbage leaves.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
In September, cuts to subsea cables in the Red Sea caused disruptions to Microsoft's Azure cloud service.—
Magdalena Petrova,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Together with fellow oligarch Gennadiy Bogolyubov, who cuts a comparatively lower profile, Kolomoisky amassed a sizable portfolio.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The suspect pounces on Ennin while the victim is down and stabs him multiple times before running off.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
After Fiona confesses to killing Willem, a raging Constance stabs Dahlia.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slashes. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share