as in slap
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
the impatient toddler got a swat on his wrist for stepping into the street by himself
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to smack
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
didn't sleep a wink all night because she was too busy swatting mosquitoes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of swat
Sophia Cai, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
The footage allegedly showed Howard getting out of his car, opening a back door and bending over inside to swat at something.
—Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2025
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 2 June 2025
She is seen swatting away a make-up person who was interrupting an interview, and also trying to keep it together as Clint Eastwood flirts with her mid-conversation.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for swat
Noun
Ivana Saric Nov 1, 2024 - Politics & Policy
GOP secretaries of state swat down election conspiracies while Trump sows doubts
Republican secretaries of state in crucial battleground states are combating baseless conspiracies to undermine the integrity of the 2024 election.
—Sophia Cai, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
The footage allegedly showed Howard getting out of his car, opening a back door and bending over inside to swat at something.
—Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
In the Guardian interview, Siwa appeared to swat away suggestions that the pair were playing up their romance for the cameras before their run in the house ended.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 2 June 2025
She is seen swatting away a make-up person who was interrupting an interview, and also trying to keep it together as Clint Eastwood flirts with her mid-conversation.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for swat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swat
Noun
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Those embarrassing losses with ownership sitting in the expensive seats were a big-time slap in the face to the decision makers.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
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The number of girl slaps exchanged between the governor and Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez over the state budget impasse.—
Pat Beall,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 June 2025
Verb
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Anyone who attended the National Restaurant Show in Chicago last month was smacked in the face at booth after booth by a single agenda wrought from desperation: how to harness technology to find ways to use fewer human workers.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2025
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Please Tony, stop smacking your lips after every sentence.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 June 2025
Noun
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On my final evening after the game drive, a flute whines and drums thump in the distance.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
23 May 2025
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As its infectious message, hip hop hook, gentle-against-forceful thump, radiates further into the zeitgeist expect it be heard everywhere.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
15 June 2025
Verb
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Jewish advocacy groups slammed President Donald Trump for using an anti-Semitic descriptor on Thursday during his Iowa speech celebrating the passage of his spending bill.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 July 2025
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Beshear slammed Republicans in support of the bill, accusing them of abandoning constituents who depend on the programs.—
Killian Baarlaer,
The Courier-Journal,
4 July 2025
Noun
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Pang’s departure is a blow to Apple’s AI ambitions and comes amid internal scrutiny of its AI strategy, which has so far failed to match the capabilities fielded by rival tech companies, leaving Apple dependent on third-party AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
8 July 2025
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In a quiet, devastating moment, Dream kills his son with a single blow.—
Aya Al-Hakim,
People.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
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Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 July 2025
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But failure rates knocked maybe a percentage point off total yearly returns, in aggregate, and insurance products were available and continually diversifying.—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
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In the footage, the wooden wall can be seen falling forward with a thud, while two vertical cables hang behind, apparently slack.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
27 June 2025
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The message landed with a thud among prominent conservatives on social media.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Bregman hit 11 home runs in 226 plate appearances, a rate of one every 20.5 at bats.—
Jon Vankin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
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Earlier, in the fourth, Chisholm hit his fourth homer in his last five games.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swat. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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