as in slap
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
delivered a quick spank to the child's bottom for disobedience
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spank
Noun
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Trading Mantha, for instance, would have been a slap in their faces.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
16 May 2026 -
The Need For Improvement At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Cox is too solidly built to be a slap-and-run singles hitter.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Eldridge’s solo shot in the fifth inning against right-hander Braxton Ashcraft smacked the top of the right field arcade and caromed into McCovey Cove.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
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The two have smacked each other around in the weeks since and traded barbs over their places within the company.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Noun
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The Yankees need Wells to provide at least some thump in a bottom third of the order that hasn’t been very good.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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Moments later, a bass thump sounded in the distance.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The puck had just slipped through Poehling’s skates when McNabb crunched Poehling into the boards, knocking him out for the rest of the game and prompting an official review.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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Jones’ challenge has forced Thompson to match his fundraising and door-knocking efforts — both candidates have raised roughly $3 million, their campaigns said.—
Justine McDaniel,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
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The five-nation boycott is a revenue and viewership blow to an event that organizers say was watched by 166 million people around the world last year.—
Jill Lawless,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
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The New York Mets starting rotation took a major blow on Friday night.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Howden doubled the lead with a shorthanded goal 7½ minutes later, finding miles of space just to the right of the goal and banging in a pass from Marner that split LaCombe and Alex Killorn.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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On Wednesday evening, Associated Press journalists saw residents in numerous neighborhoods banging pots and pans and setting fire to trash cans to protest the blackouts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Jack Dauer double home a run, then scored on Colin Sloane’s hit.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
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The Philadelphia Phillies scored seven runs on seven hits.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
Verb
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There’s also a menu of small snacks, with mezzes like hummus, tzatziki, whipped feta, falafel, halloumi, artichoke and eggplant.—
Connie Ogle
May 15,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
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The one-time Ducks first-round draft pick whipped a shot through traffic from just above the slot.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
15 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Spank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spank. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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