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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spanks
Noun
-
A couple of good back slaps and thumps from the adoring crowd.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025 -
Touted as the second-highest fine ever levied by the board, many observers struggled to view it as anything but the gentlest of wrist slaps.—
DAVID AMSDEN,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Quietly handling the cornbread, with a buttery scent that smacks you right in the face, is her paternal grandmother.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
30 Oct. 2025
-
As the scene unfolds, the gorilla suddenly lifts its arm and smacks the glass, causing a crack.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The groundbreaking research penetrated the last moments of the young nobleman, who suffered a terrible 26 blows.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Despite major strides in the right direction, the push for a greener future has been dealt several devastating blows from a fraught supply chain, economic headwinds and political setbacks.—
Katherine Fung,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Its Dolby Atmos fills your space, the subwoofer thumps, and Q-Symphony sync turns your TV into an epic sound machine.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Oct. 2025
-
A couple of good back slaps and thumps from the adoring crowd.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Deeper down the road the slap of the drooping tropical tree branches against the windshield are like punishing whacks to the face for trying to force a metaphor.—
Matt Negrin,
Rolling Stone,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Brush off hair and debris from the surface, then give it a few whacks against the inside of the trash can to knock out some of the dust.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
However, when a wealthy telecommunications CEO knocks on their door and reveals his plans to regain the public’s trust in supers, the Parrs are all in.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Latin social dance is a place where people leave their worries at the door, but in Chicago, fear over immigration crackdowns knocks anyway.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In a video of the attack that was widely circulated on social media, one soldier is seen striking him with the barrel of his rifle, before the settler comes in to land several more punches.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The poem is littered with gut punches that would destroy me as a parent; Lee sees the poem’s beauty and appears to feel appropriate shame.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The wind whips across the peak, marked as per usual around here with a pile of stones and colorful prayer flags tied to the top like sails on the mast of a ship.—
Joe Baur,
Outside,
31 Oct. 2025
-
In the video, Campos whips her long hair in disbelief.—
Christina Noriega,
Refinery29,
13 Oct. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Spanks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spanks. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share