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
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Recent Examples of swat
Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
The sky-high swat by Bidunga — with his dominant left hand — was the 6-foot-9, 220-pounder’s third rejection of the game (to go with 10 rebounds) and his final highlight-reel play.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 16 Nov. 2025
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Officers quickly determined the call was likely a swatting attempt after meeting with security personnel already stationed at the property and finding no evidence of gunfire.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for swat
Noun
The swat helped Arkansas survive for an 83-79 win at Oklahoma on Tuesday night.
—Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
The sky-high swat by Bidunga — with his dominant left hand — was the 6-foot-9, 220-pounder’s third rejection of the game (to go with 10 rebounds) and his final highlight-reel play.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 16 Nov. 2025
Verb
Golden State swatted 11 shots Thursday, a league-wide single-game high for the season.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Officers quickly determined the call was likely a swatting attempt after meeting with security personnel already stationed at the property and finding no evidence of gunfire.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for swat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swat
Noun
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Burke, a Dodgers teammate, had provided the setup for the pioneering hand slap, a spontaneous response to a homer that Baker hit in 1977.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Will Smith won his only Best Actor Oscar in the title role, leading to his infamous onstage slap of Chris Rock during the 2022 ceremony.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Llamas smacked 139 hits in her career, Kyles 136.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 June 2026
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Then the others, perhaps hearing the now-familiar smack, smack, slurp of group tonsil hockey, followed suit.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
9 June 2026
Noun
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The driver’s side opens, releasing the thump of music and a tall, lean figure.—
Shyla Watson,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
-
The usual thump of a foot hitting a soccer ball filled the air Wednesday at the Compass Minerals National Performance Center.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The actor previously slammed Bass for leaving the country on a trip to Ghana as the blazes erupted.—
Ashley Hume , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
-
The Massachusetts Republican Party is slamming both Markey and Healey for backing Platner.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Noun
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At that pace, even a tiny micrometeoroid has the ability to impart a significant kinetic blow upon striking a spacecraft en route to the moon, with potentially disastrous results for the astronaut crew inside.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
7 June 2026
-
Sánchez had the big blow with a two-run shot.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Verb
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After knocking England out of the 2018 World Cup, for example, Croatia’s players were keen to throw that line back in their face afterwards.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Remember, as little as 6 inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
The shocking sight and loud thud of Williams' body took everyone by surprise.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
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Come summer, the house settles into a familiar rhythm—one marked by shade, conversation, and the soft thud of falling fruit.—
Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar,
Architectural Digest,
24 May 2026
Verb
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The Rockies’ Kyle Karros hit an opposite-field line drive that carried to the right-field warning track, but Lee tracked down the potential extra-base hit on the run, then crashed into the chain-link portion of the fence.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
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The hitting coaches have been really emphasizing it.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swat. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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