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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
The flight attendant, identified as Jean Riegelman in court documents, is accused of attempting to swat a phone out of a passenger's hand while passengers were deplaning. — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026 Salaun was convinced that Stokes, who was a game-high plus-30, swatted five shots. — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 3 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
  • Power, in-your-face attitude, and urgency are what make half of the Pretenders’ still-extraordinary 1978 debut slap.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Her Oscars triumph was also the night of the notorious Will Smith-Chris Rock on-stage slap, which overshadowed coverage.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of slap
Verb
  • Dangbei rates it at 3,100 ISO lumens, which puts it pretty smack dab in the middle of projectors in this price range (MSRP is $1,999).
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Sep. 2026
  • That stretch started with the doubleheader sweep of the Detroit Tigers earlier this month, when Bazzana smacked a tying homer and a walk-off single in the nightcap.
    — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of smack
Noun
  • 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
  • Their pitching is good, Griffin Jax could return soon, and Liam Hicks has added some thump to a lineup previously built around three really good hitters (Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda) and a bunch of do-your-job role players.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 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
  • Abby meanwhile was killed in the upstairs guest bedroom, but hit first on the side of the head before being dealt a total of 17 blows.
    — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Connecticut was among the few states helping to cover the loss of federal health insurance subsidies by earmarking millions of dollars to soften the blow for more than 150,000 Connecticut residents.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • The biggest news of the NFL weekend came in Detroit, when the New Orleans Saints' defense knocked a Lions quarterback around, and the QB pitched the ball backwards.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
  • At one point, one individual appears to get knocked to the ground as others go to check on him.
    — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of knock
Noun
  • 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
  • Others joined him and the thud of clubs on tree trunks resumed.
    — Leslie E. Tassell, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of thud
Verb
  • The helicopter, which was used by NBC and Telemundo, crashed about two hours after police say Rios drove her 2004 Ford Expedition the wrong way down a busy avenue, ran a red light and struck a vehicle before hitting the bus.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Police say Rios drove her 2004 Ford Expedition the wrong way down a busy avenue, ran a red light, and struck another vehicle before hitting the Metro bus.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 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 20 Sep. 2026.

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