spanks 1 of 2

noun

plural of spank
as in slaps
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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spanks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spank
as in smacks

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spanks
  1. slaps
  2. smacks
  3. blows
  4. thumps
  5. whacks
  6. knocks
  7. punches
  8. whips
Noun
  • Communicating entirely through percussive movements and sounds and enough slaps to make the Three Stooges envious, the wild-haired creatures mainly seem to be auditioning for their own big-screen spin-off to compete with the Minions.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The repercussions of the slaps continued for hours afterward.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of slaps
Verb
  • And there’s rarely time to digest one controversy before the next one comes barreling down the road and smacks us in the mouth.
    — Bernard Goldberg, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In a fight with yet more mercenaries, Reacher smacks a gun out of a guy’s hand using one of Philadelphia’s moving subway trains.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of smacks
Noun
  • Elsewhere, investors are absorbing the blows from a selloff in artificial intelligence stocks on Thursday, which saw the Nasdaq, S&P 500, and Russell 2000 all log their worst one-day loss since April 2025, according to FactSet data.
    — Sarah Min,Sawdah Bhaimiya,Sean Conlon, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Since the breakdown of a truce in July, Saudi Arabia has traded blows with the Houthis, who have retaliated with strikes on Saudi airports, energy infrastructure and military sites that killed at least 20 people in October.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of blows
Verb
  • Aledo thumps Colleyville Heritage, Joshua next Tiara Butler dropped in 13 points to lead Aledo to a 48-21 win over Colleyville Heritage in a Class 5A Division I bi-district playoff on Monday.
    — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Pam thumps down to earth, all four chair legs on the floor.
    — Allegra Goodman, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
Definition of thumps
Noun
  • Lizzie Borden’s father and stepmother were found slain by 29 (or 30) whacks in Fall River, Massachusetts.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 21 July 2026
  • In the opening minute alone, Murphy shot just wide off a turnover and Josefin Bouveng set up Madison Kaiser for a couple of whacks from the edge of the blue paint that were both stopped.
    — Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of whacks
Verb
  • The move knocks the financier’s voting power in Liberty down from 48% to 3%, and no holder of Liberty Media common stock now holds more than 9% of voting power.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The loss knocks the Hornets, who have high expectations for this season, to a 3-6 start.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of knocks
Noun
  • The flavor excels because each ingredient punches above its weight.
    — Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Once upon a time, Georgia-Florida was an annual heavyweight fight, two proud programs trading punches and championships while their fans traded insults and cocktails in Jacksonville.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of punches
Verb
  • Shutters bang, screen doors slam; the wind whips them all into a frenzy.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Paddling along the shoreline of a small lake in the wilderness, as pine and spruce trees hover over the dark water’s edge and the wind whips waves against the canoe, a human knows her place.
    — Story Hinckley, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of whips
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.

Browse Nearby Words

spanking
spanks
spanned
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Cite this Entry

“Spanks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spanks. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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