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
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
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026
The ball seemed to be a winner, until Suarez, who was stationed in the goal post, swatted it with his hands.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 11 June 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
Police are investigating a swatting incident that targeted a school and Walmart in Hamden on Wednesday.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026
The ball seemed to be a winner, until Suarez, who was stationed in the goal post, swatted it with his hands.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for swat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swat
Noun
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Deidre Hall delivered her most shocking slap yet on live TV on June 19.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
20 June 2026
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Only a few minutes earlier, Abulaila endured an inadvertent slap to his throat by Arnautovic on a pass into the box.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Verb
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There's one man smack in the middle of it all.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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For the viewer, the satisfaction comes through vicarious tactile sensation—witnessing how the thatch gets smacked in by a flat, hammerlike device, or the way a tile slots perfectly into a shelf niche.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
17 June 2026
Noun
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While playing Pragmata, the thump of approaching robots had solid directionality, and the weapon blasts had a good amount of low-end force.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
14 June 2026
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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
Verb
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In Santa Clara, the letter said, a woman on mental health diversion for carjacking proceeded to steal another car and slam it into an outside table at a restaurant, leaving one person dead and others injured.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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The bomber was in the air a very short time before slamming into the ground about halfway down the runway.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Officers said that Samartino quickly assessed the situation and immediately began administering back blows to the infant.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2026
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These were both devastating blows since the public saw them each as the face and voice of the groups, even though there were other very talented singes and songwriters in the bands.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2026
Verb
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On Tuesday, the Red Sox had base runners in every inning against Jays starter Dylan Cease, knocking him out after five innings and 108 pitches.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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While detailing the facts of the case on Tuesday, Tellman told the judge that Lawhead knocked at the door, brandished a gun and ordered her to leave the home with him.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
Noun
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Beyond that, though, the Americans cannot afford to start with a thud, not with so many untrained eyes finally paying attention.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
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Non-sterling objects produce a dull thud.—
Tessa Cooper,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Israeli strikes hit several towns in southern Lebanon on Saturday morning local time, killing at least five people, Lebanese state-run National News Agency reported, despite Israel and Hezbollah renewing their truce Friday.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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Temperatures are expected to soar on June 22 in parts of Oregon and Washington, possibly hitting 100 degrees in Portland and at least 90 degrees in Seattle.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swat. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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