as in slaps
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
Relevance
as in smacks
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
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Recent Examples of swats
Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swats
Verb
And when Melbourne still attempts to challenge the two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Wilson swats it away with ease.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swats
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swats
Noun
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Touted as the second-highest fine ever levied by the board, many observers struggled to view it as anything but the gentlest of wrist slaps.—
DAVID AMSDEN,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
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They were then categorized by behavior, including jumps, belly rolls, tail slaps, bow riding and even petting.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Andor hates him on sight, which only intensifies when Berend smacks around his mother and tears up the apartment looking for proof that Klára has deceived the boy with idealized fictions about his origins.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
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Vocals are sped up into squiggles, instruments are reversed and gated, percussion smacks you in the face and then suddenly vanishes.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Millennials are currently ruling the tech industry and clinging to their roles as the economy is rocked by uncertainty due to tariffs, inflation increases living expenses, and AI swipes jobs.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
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Deen also takes several swipes at her former detractors in the project, including fellow foodie and CNN travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain, who died by suicide in 2018.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His visit to her is the kind of single scene where an Oscar winner like Steenburgen knocks it out of the park.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
11 Sep. 2025
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The fun-loving entertainment hub doesn't yet have a US product page, but is up for pre-order on Amazon for US$799 (though there is a promo coupon available at time of writing that knocks a few dollars off that ticket price).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When the Great Depression hits, these estates become the targets of an ideological clash.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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The Emmy winner voiced a role in DreamWorks’ The Bad Guys 2 and will soon be seen starring alongside comedian Nate Bargatze in his TriStar Pictures comedy The Breadwinner, which hits theaters on March 13.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Ali was scoring plenty with jabs and flurries, but his attempts to land big punches mostly fell flat.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
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But as any fan of either show will tell you, both are adept at delivering emotional gut-punches that have been known to leave viewers in tears.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The steep new parking surcharge slams the brakes on that, hitting both visitors and the workers who would have served them.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Except Steven gets in a car wreck in episode two of season three, and trauma slams Belly and Jeremiah back together.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Legacy is made from the small, repeatable disciplines no one claps for, but everyone benefits from.—
Cody Bjugan,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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And a couple claps their way through Swift's discography.—
Bryan West,
The Tennessean,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swats. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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