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
Kessler catches an empty side screen involving Anfernee Simons and calmly plays in drop, backpedals smoothly, slides laterally for a stride, opens his hips and tricks Simons to shoot before swatting it away with his left hand. — Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 2 July 2026 The boy, who was not identified, immediately swatted the bat away, the report said. — Sophie Ziedalski, NBC news, 2 July 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
  • So far, this seems to be slap-bang on schedule, with the third beta released in the last few days, on Monday, July 6.
    — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Gilla Band’s origins lie, improbably, in the legend of Fox’s pre-teen slap bass skills.
    — Laura Snapes, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
Definition of slap
Verb
  • Heavy raindrops flew sideways, smacking against the hood of my rain jacket and creating a nearly deafening white noise.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026
  • The Tampa Bay Rays third baseman smacked a 463-foot whopper late last month.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of smack
Noun
  • Duggan Borges gestures around the studio, that thump still coming through the ceiling.
    — Laura Snapes, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
  • Quesst—a needle-nosed experimental aircraft with an airframe designed to reduce the typical sonic boom to a sonic thump.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
Definition of thump
Verb
  • The beach hazard statements have been in effect mainly due to the strong southerly swells brought by storms that have been ongoing in the south Pacific, sending waves of energy that slam into the West Coast.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 12 July 2026
  • Prosecutors said Tran thought the truck had cut him off and became angry, catching up in his Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and then pulling in front of it and twice slamming on his brakes.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of slam
Noun
  • Iran has been degraded by over 13,000 strikes, but has survived and reconstituted, rather than suffering a mortal blow.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • The woman, 41-year-old Ja’Marlette Hardy, bit one of the officers during the July 1 encounter, which led to the officer delivering a blow to her head.
    — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • While setting up an attack near the France box, midfielder Dani Olmo overcame a hard challenge that knocked him down to play a through ball to Pedro Porro.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • Even just 6 inches of swiftly moving water can forcefully knock you off your feet.
    — Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
Definition of knock
Noun
  • Her Doha speech, while celebrated by many outside FIFA’s corridors, landed with a thud inside the chamber.
    — Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026
  • The distant thud of shelling punctuates the evening, refuting one guest’s optimism that the latest ceasefire agreement will endure.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 July 2026
Definition of thud
Verb
  • However, without strong spending activity at home, a heavy reliance on exports makes China particularly vulnerable to a reversal in AI sentiment, which would hit sales of high-tech products.
    — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Lanageliers started the game at catcher and hit third in the lineup while the American League won a largely uneventful affair, 4-0, at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 July 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 18 Jul. 2026.

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