as in smacking
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
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Recent Examples of swatting
The homes and businesses of at least 12 Indiana state lawmakers were targeted with bomb threats and swatting in December as the legislature weighed whether to redraw congressional districts.
—
Cate Charron, IndyStar, 15 Jan. 2026
That meant that Kendricks crossed paths with tight end Dallas Goedert just as the ball arrived, with Kendricks swatting it away and the 49ers taking over on downs.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
The senior guard caught up with it without much room to spare and jumped in the air, twisting and then swatting the ball off a defender right behind her as the Mighty Macs kept possession.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Several schools in Yuba County were on lockdown Thursday for what turned out to be a swatting call received at Yuba Gardens Intermediate School.
—CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
As the pressure from the White House grew, a number of Indiana Republicans — some of whom had been called out by the president over the issue — reported being the victims of swatting or bomb threats.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 11 Dec. 2025
In addition to the various homecoming shootings on HBCU campuses, several schools have fallen victim to swatting hoaxes aiming to foster confusion and chaos among the community.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
On the earlier date, police were reportedly called to one of the houses after a swatting incident falsely reported a shooting and a dead female victim.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Cate Charron, IndyStar, 15 Jan. 2026
That meant that Kendricks crossed paths with tight end Dallas Goedert just as the ball arrived, with Kendricks swatting it away and the 49ers taking over on downs.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
The senior guard caught up with it without much room to spare and jumped in the air, twisting and then swatting the ball off a defender right behind her as the Mighty Macs kept possession.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Several schools in Yuba County were on lockdown Thursday for what turned out to be a swatting call received at Yuba Gardens Intermediate School.
—CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
As the pressure from the White House grew, a number of Indiana Republicans — some of whom had been called out by the president over the issue — reported being the victims of swatting or bomb threats.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 11 Dec. 2025
In addition to the various homecoming shootings on HBCU campuses, several schools have fallen victim to swatting hoaxes aiming to foster confusion and chaos among the community.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
On the earlier date, police were reportedly called to one of the houses after a swatting incident falsely reported a shooting and a dead female victim.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swatting
Verb
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And the good vibes of those wins quickly dissolved with Toronto smacking them around in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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Malika was now smacking the rug in rhythm.—
Joan Silber,
New Yorker,
30 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The developer of Aurora Driver, an all-in-one self-driving solution, underdelivered last year, hitting its stock hard.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
16 Jan. 2026
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The grant terminations are also hitting nonprofit groups in Illinois, with leaders of those groups saying the cuts could mean fewer services in Illinois for people struggling with homelessness, substance use disorders and fewer prevention and training programs related to mental health.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mimicking what happened seven years earlier after the Dallas playoff win in Charlotte, the players ran back outside and took a lap around the stadium, slapping hands with delirious home fans.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Jan. 2026
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That means not just the sound of rubber slapping the pavement or the whir of electric motors—the soundtrack of a Formula E race—but something new and artificial or, more generously, bespoke.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
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He was placed in concussion protocol Monday night after slamming his head against the turf in the team's win over the Steelers.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
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Brown said, noting that the officer slung his rifle around his back before grabbing and body-slamming the protester.—
Nicole Foy,
ProPublica,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The woman recalled someone knocking on their door, waking her family, before hearing shots.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Los Angeles was knocking at the door again with a third-and-2 from New England’s three-yard line, but Kimani Vidal was stuffed.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors accuse Studing of pulling his neighbor off a riding lawnmower and then kicking and punching the man.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
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Video of the fight shows one man coming out of the crowd and punching a Comsewogue player from behind, the site reported.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The taint of being part of the cheating 2017 Astros has worn off over the years, and Cubs fans are banging the drum for Bregman’s arrival, excited to have an offensive upgrade from Matt Shaw, who can still learn a lot from playing multiple positions and watching from the bench.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Jan. 2026
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Carrick was banging this drum even as his tenure at Middlesbrough was coming to an end.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The reptile reacts to being picked up by flicking its meaty tail back and forth, whacking a few of the deputies.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
5 Dec. 2025
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The robot showcased exemplary skills with the bat, whacking the ball precisely in a rally of over 100 shots with human-like agility.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swatting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swatting. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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