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
Ben Church, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Trey Gambill, after two fly-outs, swatted a homer to center, his ninth of the season, giving Oklahoma a 7-0 lead.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 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
The second shot was an aggressive volley that was just about returned, but her third saw Williams swat the return volley away, accompanied by that trademark grunt that’s echoed around tennis venues for decades.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Trey Gambill, after two fly-outs, swatted a homer to center, his ninth of the season, giving Oklahoma a 7-0 lead.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for swat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swat
Noun
-
Babies are handed six-shooters before the butt slap.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 June 2026
-
Burke, a Dodgers teammate, had provided the setup for the pioneering hand slap, a spontaneous response to a homer that Baker hit in 1977.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Llamas smacked 139 hits in her career, Kyles 136.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 June 2026
-
Then the others, perhaps hearing the now-familiar smack, smack, slurp of group tonsil hockey, followed suit.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
9 June 2026
Noun
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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
-
The usual thump of a foot hitting a soccer ball filled the air Wednesday at the Compass Minerals National Performance Center.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The actor previously slammed Bass for leaving the country on a trip to Ghana as the blazes erupted.—
Ashley Hume , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
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The Massachusetts Republican Party is slamming both Markey and Healey for backing Platner.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
The injury to Flaherty is another blow to the Tigers, who have been dealing with injuries to their roster all season.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
-
That was the final blow for the Royals.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Verb
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After knocking England out of the 2018 World Cup, for example, Croatia’s players were keen to throw that line back in their face afterwards.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Remember, as little as 6 inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Non-sterling objects produce a dull thud.—
Tessa Cooper,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Lightning hits the United States approximately 25 million times annually.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
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Right fielder Jung Hoo Lee saw his 18-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in the majors entering play, come to an end after going hitless in three at-bats.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swat. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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