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
  • These 16 slaps are lucid and adventurous, featuring random Jay Electronica warblings, DJ Quik rhythms, and a couple of surprisingly appropriate Westside Gunn vignettes.
    — Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Mother was the destination, but the slaps, pineapple, goat, and countless detours made the journey worthwhile.
    — Erin Strecker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of slaps
Verb
  • 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
  • Other gamblers just don’t want to get swindled, so anything that smacks too clearly of insider trading can get you in trouble.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of smacks
Noun
  • And the former running back, who may be suffering from too many blows to the head, shot back that none of those players were drafted by the Steelers.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • And in a single season, a high school or college football player absorbs an estimated 600 to 1,000 subconcussive blows.
    — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 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
  • After making the deal with CBS, a local ranger knocks on Kaczynski’s cabin door and claims that local copper miners are interested in inspecting the property lines around the land.
    — Jane LaCroix, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The Eagles defender Brandon Graham fends off a Patriots offensive lineman, reaches his left hand out, and knocks the ball loose from Brady’s grip.
    — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of knocks
Noun
  • And by the way, with how shifty rookie Emmett Johnson has been at this level, Kansas City may quietly have one of the league’s best one-two punches.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • According to court testimony, Griffin’s younger brother had gotten into an argument; punches were thrown, and the younger brother fell or was pushed.
    — Jenisha Watts, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of punches
Verb
  • Castro whips her head around and follows him, punching him in the back.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Green whips out his phone with the fluid motion of a digital native and snaps a photo.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 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 4 Oct. 2026.

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