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
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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
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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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A couple of good back slaps and thumps from the adoring crowd.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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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
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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Bubba purposefully knocks a girl down with a dodgeball, and when Mary tells him to stop being mean, Bubba punches her.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
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First, any major event such as a the emergence of DeepSeek that knocks the AI thesis could have a sizeable impact on the stock market.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Your second step should be to determine how high flood water is likely to rise in your area if a storm hits.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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As the fashion week cycle continues, celebrity beauty hits an all-time high.—
Essence,
Essence,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Ridley Scott, a filmmaker not known for pulling his punches, has issued a withering assessment on the health of Hollywood output right now.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
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The matches are pretty violent, with nasty punches to the face and vicious knees to the head.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Build a heavily-armored door that slams shut via a trigger and control panel, and get ready to battle with the rotating turret.—
Anja Webb,
Parents,
7 Oct. 2025
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Continue reading … ‘BRAZEN LIES’ – Foreign ministry slams Greta Thunberg's 'ludicrous' claims after Gaza flotilla arrest.—
,
FOXNews.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Deeper down the road the slap of the drooping tropical tree branches against the windshield are like punishing whacks to the face for trying to force a metaphor.—
Matt Negrin,
Rolling Stone,
20 Sep. 2025
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Brush off hair and debris from the surface, then give it a few whacks against the inside of the trash can to knock out some of the dust.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swats. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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