swat 1 of 2

noun

Definition of swatnext
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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swat

2 of 2

verb

ˈswät How to pronounce swat (audio)
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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of swat
Noun
Cats may flick their tails, flatten their ears, crouch, hiss or swat before escalating. — Cathy M. Rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Mar. 2026 The swat helped Arkansas survive for an 83-79 win at Oklahoma on Tuesday night. — Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
The flight attendant, identified as Jean Riegelman in court documents, is accused of attempting to swat a phone out of a passenger's hand while passengers were deplaning. — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026 Salaun was convinced that Stokes, who was a game-high plus-30, swatted five shots. — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for swat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swat
  1. slap
  2. smack
  3. thump
  4. slam
  5. blow
  6. knock
  7. thud
  8. hit
Noun
  • Instead, a slap and then reverse-slap of their hands turns to a fist-on-top-of-fist bump, which then wraps up with a classic knuckle tap.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of slap
Verb
  • Brady House smacked a three-run homer, Jackson Kent pitched seven innings of one-run ball to earn his first major league win and the Washington Nationals beat the visiting Miami Marlins 9-2 on Friday.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The directorial debut of cinematographer Mi Steinbach, Strange Neighbors was shot over three years on Schwarztonnensand, an island and nature preserve on the German Elbe river, smack in the middle of one of Europe’s busiest waterways.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of smack
Noun
  • If those ground tests show the jet’s acoustic thump is soft enough for suburban skies, NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several US communities to gather public feedback.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Their pitching is good, Griffin Jax could return soon, and Liam Hicks has added some thump to a lineup previously built around three really good hitters (Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda) and a bunch of do-your-job role players.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of thump
Verb
  • He was still getting frustrated a little bit, slamming his helmet.
    — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The gallery watched with rapt attention as Reddington gestured wildly, slammed his hand down and threw a stack of papers onto the bench.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of slam
Noun
  • The decline of the wholesale channel overall has been a blow to the industry’s morale and its balance sheets and forced many brands to put a greater emphasis on direct-to-consumer sales.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Strength among women helped Friday’s overall nonfarm payrolls figure blow past expectations for August.
    — Alex Harring,Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • If such an attack succeeds, Gulf Arab states’ need to save their huge oil infrastructure investments could knock them out of their informal American coalition or force Washington to accept Iranian terms on reopening the strait.
    — JAMES F. JEFFREY, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
  • With clubs like Tottenham Hotspur, London City Lionesses and Brighton, albeit the latter has just appointed a new head coach, knocking at the door, this could be United’s toughest season yet.
    — Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of knock
Noun
  • Others joined him and the thud of clubs on tree trunks resumed.
    — Leslie E. Tassell, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Someone somewhere shrieks, then grunts before hitting the ground with a thud.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of thud
Verb
  • If the Sabres can find some more success with the man advantage, Thompson shouldn’t have much trouble hitting the 40-goal mark again.
    — Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Japan's 10-year government bond yield recently breached 3%, hitting a high not seen in roughly 30 years.
    — , CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of hit

Browse Nearby Words

swashing
swat
swatch
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Cite this Entry

“Swat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swat. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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