spanking 1 of 3

adjective

ˈspaŋ-kiŋ How to pronounce spanking (audio)
Definition of spankingnext
as in animated
having much high-spirited energy and movement a spanking and speedy little horse

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

spanking

2 of 3

adverb

as in very
to a great degree the bathroom tiles were spanking white when she finished cleaning them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

spanking

3 of 3

verb

present participle of spank
as in smacking

Related 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 spanking
Adjective
The rapper born Jeffrey Bruce Atkins was all over the place, promoting his spanking new Amber & Opal, a top shelf honey botanical whiskey. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2025 Owner Ted Leonsis will not move to a spanking new facility in Northern Virginia. — Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
Adverb
There was Vice President Biden's inaugural bromance selfie with President Obama on his brand spanking new Instagram account. — Christina Capatides, CBS News, 11 May 2018 Is this just about opportunistic politicians dipping into state coffers so they can be photographed cutting the ribbon at a spanking new factory? — New York Times, 8 May 2018 See All Example Sentences for spanking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spanking
  1. animated
  2. very
  3. smacking
  4. lively
  5. extremely
  6. knocking
  7. energetic
  8. damn
Adjective
  • There’s this desire, understandable on its face, to make the design and aesthetics of the live-action world recognizably similar to the animated world.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The face is customizable with various colorways, clock fonts, and photos; there’s also an animated Snoopy, whose antics change with the weather and the holidays.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of animated
Adverb
  • One of the other things that Claude noticed was that these array of associated reverse transcriptases seem to be isolated to jumbo phages, which have very large genomes for bacteriophage.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
  • There’s very few cases where a fan actually gets to stand beside the man and add onto the man’s legacy.
    — Christine Imarenezor, VIBE.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of very
Verb
  • But Varma and Shivam Dube (27) upped the ante in the final three overs by smacking 57 runs against Sufyan Moqim, Ayub and Ahmed Daniyal.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Carrington was ejected from the game in the first half after smacking Cunningham across the face during Cunningham's layup attempt.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of smacking
Adjective
  • Echenoz sketches a lively and personal view of the bonds and minor psychoses that can occur when two people work in tandem, and sometimes in conflict.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath house sat just off lively Main Street in Beacon, a town of about 15,000 people on the Hudson River.
    — Gabe Castro-Root, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of lively
Adverb
  • Experts attribute the extremely warm ocean temperatures that fueled Rachel, which peaked as a Category 3 hurricane, in part to El Niño.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • All this makes the Home app very easy to use, but extremely underpowered.
    — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of extremely
Verb
  • The other student strikes one more blow from behind, knocking Xavier to the ground.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The murder prompted an extensive investigation, with police interviewing more than 1,300 people and knocking on hundreds of doors.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of knocking
Adjective
  • Cheers, jeers, and energetic call-and-response exchanges echoed through the hall as the audience, dressed in bright green, pink, and red, some wearing candidate T-shirts, listened.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Swelling the two-person ranks of Price, Siffre and Associates is Michael’s energetic former assistant, Christy Palladino (Ella Stiller), fired for talking to him on the phone.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of energetic
Adverb
  • Because the rent is so damn high, there was real money to be made.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The play broke the dam for an offense — and particularly a run game — that last year looked pretty damn broken.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of damn

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Cite this Entry

“Spanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spanking. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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