swats 1 of 2

noun

Definition of swatsnext
plural of swat
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

swats

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of swat
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

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 swats
Noun
The Wolverines had only three swats against Arizona, but that was a 91-73 win in a game that was supposed to be the best of the tournament but turned into something else. — CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
What’s next, a robotic baseball player named Babe that swats 500-foot home runs and throws 120 mph pitches, eclipsing Shohei Ohtani’s real-life achievements and commanding a billion dollar contract? — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026 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 Thumps sound, and his arm disappears as someone swats it down. — Sahana Jayaraman, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swats
  1. slaps
  2. smacks
  3. swipes
  4. knocks
  5. thumps
  6. hits
  7. punches
  8. slams
Noun
  • Pro wrestling is often viewed as a fake form of fighting, but the flips, jumps and landings are very real — slaps and kicks landed on reddening skin echo throughout SPW’s venues.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026
  • Devers petulantly left the field, avoided handshakes and butt slaps in the dugout, and retreated to the clubhouse.
    — Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of slaps
Verb
  • The teriyaki aroma from the wings was almost strong enough to taste, and the flavor smacks you in the face from the first bite.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026
  • An attack rears its ugly head, and the security team smacks it down.
    — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of smacks
Noun
  • And, in fact, for all of the shock value in his writing and swipes at the food establishment, Bourdain became extraordinarily generous and even sweet as his fame grew, quick to heap praise, especially for writers and chefs on the rise.
    — Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Using gestures and swipes on a traditional slab-style phone always felt cramped and imprecise when trying to pull off quick maneuvers.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 24 July 2026
Definition of swipes
Verb
  • For residents who didn’t respond to knocks on their doors, their bags were left for safekeeping with Mai Mei Su, the building’s residential manager.
    — Melody Xu, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Max knocks on the door, a strange formality for a man about to burn the boat down to the waterline.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026
Definition of knocks
Noun
  • Agents yelled from every direction, and the thumps of a news helicopter overhead were deafening.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
  • You’ll be thrown around in your seat, which moves in sync with the action, along with thumps in the back, splashes of water, blasts of air, smoke, and flashes of light.
    — Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
Definition of thumps
Verb
  • This hits me personally because my brother, Rescue 5 firefighter Allan Tarasiewicz, was killed that day saving people when the North Tower fell on him, all because of Bin Laden and money from Saudi Arabia.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Skies are expected to remain partly sunny Thursday as the chance of precipitation hits and sticks around through the night, NWS states.
    — Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of hits
Noun
  • The Raiders are off Sunday before returning Monday morning, so their starting quarterback and star pass rusher will compete against each other again, though, Kubiak hopes, without any punches.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The welcoming rum punches were a nice introduction to the soft life that this resort offers you upon entry.
    — Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of punches
Verb
  • Or father, for that matter, especially after Sebastiano repeatedly slams his son’s head against a sink.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
  • This is happening as a demographic shift to an older, grayer population slams Colorado.
    — Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 5 July 2026
Definition of slams

Browse Nearby Words

swaths
swats
swatted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swats. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on swats

Nglish: Translation of swats for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All