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
But the justices swatted aside that order, too, without explanation. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026 If paper wasps are flying near their nest, Fredericks says to avoid swatting at them. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 3 Sep. 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
  • The Eagles also have been smacked with injuries and played without several key starters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And there’s rarely time to digest one controversy before the next one comes barreling down the road and smacks us in the mouth.
    — Bernard Goldberg, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of smack
Noun
  • But the knock on them has been the lack of thump in their lineup.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The brutalist thump of drummer Moe Tucker renders the showmen in Led Zeppelin and the Who irrelevant.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of thump
Verb
  • Earlier this month, 51-year-old Ryo Uchimiya, a chef at the famous Japanese restaurant Nobu, was parked on the side of the road waiting for his morning shift when a 16-year-old in a Range Rover slammed into him and killed him.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • When an area on the ground is hit by the eyewall, it will be buffeted by intense winds, then get a break before being slammed by the other side of the eye in a second round of the storm's strongest winds.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of slam
Noun
  • Ditka and Ryan had an often adversarial relationship, with the two nearly coming to blows during halftime of the team's only 1985 season loss, to the Miami Dolphins.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • For many, that would have been a career-ending blow, but not for him.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • The fans were ready to rock, but the Guardians knocked the Sox on their backs.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The 22-year-old emerged from the woods Wednesday evening after a six-day disappearance and knocked on the driver’s side window of a search-and-rescue cruiser.
    — Angie Orellana Hernandez, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of knock
Noun
  • Less than a mile from Presnell’s apartment, the girl heard a thud.
    — Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Obscenities, the referee’s whistle, and the thud of boots into balls—and sometimes shins—easily carry across these desolate fields.
    — Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of thud
Verb
  • Residential real estate prices may hit a bottom in the third quarter of 2028, the report said.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • For Fleabag and The Tourist producer Two Brothers, the show is the first hitting the international market since its parent, All3Media, was acquired by Banijay.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 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 Oct. 2026.

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