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
Fred Katz, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Swatting occurs when someone reports an innocent person to law enforcement, accusing them of serious crimes, which results in armed police swat teams responding to the victims’ homes.
—Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 27 July 2025
In December 2023, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., revealed that his Naples home had been swatted.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for swat
Noun
Especially if Anunoby is involved in a play, a heist here or a swat there, the details don’t exit his brain.
—Fred Katz, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Swatting occurs when someone reports an innocent person to law enforcement, accusing them of serious crimes, which results in armed police swat teams responding to the victims’ homes.
—Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
Verb
Bregman swatted it over the wall for a two-run home run.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 27 July 2025
In December 2023, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., revealed that his Naples home had been swatted.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for swat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swat
Noun
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Some of those bombardments have come immediately after Putin talked with Trump on the phone in what can only be categorized as a deliberate slap in the face.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
15 July 2025
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After hopping on stage for an infamous moment at the 2022 Academy Awards, Will Smith has hopped the pond to rap about the slap heard 'round the world.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Sure, they got smacked by Ohio State, but who didn't last winter?—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
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Two 10-ounce bags of Fresh Express lettuce got smacked with Stop Sales.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Though the latter can play third base, both are primarily generating interest, however much might be out there, for their ability to add some thump to a contending team's lineup.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 July 2025
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The wolf was quite literally at the door of the blue house on Highway 49 in Sierra County, tearing apart an elk on the front porch as the college-age son of the owner sat alone inside, listening to the thumps and snarls and hoping the latch was secure.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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According to the outlets, police alleged in the documents that the couple repeatedly slammed the girl's fingers in a door frame, crushing her hand and causing her fingernails to separate from her hand.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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In 2021, Rodrigues had slammed another woman’s head, his girlfriend at the time, against a door — causing blood to come from her ears, court records show.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Postal Savings Bank, established in 1911, softened the blow of the Great Depression for millions, before being killed by the big banks in 1967.—
Mark Dimondstein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Aug. 2025
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The expiration of the enhanced subsidies will also deal a major blow to Covered Connecticut, a program that provides no-cost exchange plans to residents who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but still earn 175% or less than the federal poverty level.—
Jenna Carlesso,
Hartford Courant,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Whether Washington wants to make the playoffs or retain a lottery pick is an open question, but now that the Mystics control Seattle’s first-rounder (via the Sykes trade), a win Sunday could improve the Storm pick by knocking it into the lottery.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
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To get rid of pests, start by spraying a strong stream of water on the plant to knock them off.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Alas, the captive here also ended with a thud and a bloody mess on the pavement.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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Brendan McDermid | Reuters Wall Street ended a busy week of earnings, economic data and policy decisions with a thud, as a weak jobs report renewed concerns about the health of the U.S. economy in the face of President Donald Trump’s ever-shifting tariff policy.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Mega Millions jackpot was last hit June 27, when a Virginia player won the $348 million grand prize, lottery officials said.—
Don Sweeney,
Miami Herald,
17 Aug. 2025
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The song, which spent four weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997, had the crowd singing along as the group put their own spin on the iconic ’90s hit.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swat. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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