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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
Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo are in great shape and constantly holding their own, getting into the backfield and swatting down passes. — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026 And Jacob Rodriguez managed to swat a ball at the line of scrimmage. — Miami Herald, 15 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
  • The baby Fins were back to Earth, sweet mirage yielding to the slap of reality.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Hundreds of those grants were later reinstated when a federal judge ruled that the slap-dash nature of the terminations violated the Administrative Procedures Act, which regulates how agencies are supposed to change policies.
    — Anil Oza, STAT, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of slap
Verb
  • Contreras smacked Young’s sinker 403 feet to left to lead off the fourth for his 18th homer.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • In a fight with yet more mercenaries, Reacher smacks a gun out of a guy’s hand using one of Philadelphia’s moving subway trains.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of smack
Noun
  • The Giants lineup even lacked Rafael Devers’ considerable thump for the first time since the Giants traded for him last summer.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of thump
Verb
  • Worse still, the impact slammed the Ferrari into a car in front, damaging both the convertible’s front and rear ends.
    — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The crash happened days after an SUV driver allegedly under the influence of drugs careened down the wrong lane in Chatsworth and slammed into a Metro bus, killing two riders and injuring six others.
    — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of slam
Noun
  • If last year’s bill delays were a blow to budgets, distribution troubles were the uppercut.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • While often associated with blows to the head during contact sports, concussions are common at all ages.
    — Richard Sima, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Fishing ace Bucky Dent knocked 2025 champ Bear #32 (Chunk) out of contention.
    — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Keith’s knocking drums and cinematic production took the next generation of Memphis to the world as a sonic architect of hip-hop in the late 2010s and into the first half of the 2020s.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of knock
Noun
  • My body bounces once with a wet thud and comes to rest in the middle of the road.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 19 Sep. 2026
  • In 2019, the coach Brian Flores era began with a resounding thud as the Dolphins were trounced, 59-10, by Baltimore.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of thud
Verb
  • The first curveball of the night came when word hit that Young was closing out the night, as opposed to Willie Nelson.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Following a bohemian couple from Istanbul who hit a wall both creatively and personally, this slow-burn drama takes a little too much time to get the ball rolling but evolves into an honest portrait of artists finding their way out of the darkness.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of hit

Browse Nearby Words

swashing
swat
swatch
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swat. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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