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swatting

verb

present participle of swat
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 swatting ShinyHunters was also upset that the FBI claimed the group conducts swatting attacks against corporate workers and makes sextortion threats. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026 If paper wasps are flying near their nest, Fredericks says to avoid swatting at them. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 3 Sep. 2026 Black-and-white news footage shows volunteer firefighters swatting flames with tree branches and dousing flare-ups with flower-pot watering cans. — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 But at one Caribbean resort, guests can now sip frosty drinks by the pool, enjoy long dinners outdoors, or watch sunsets from the sand—all without swatting away mosquitoes. — Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026 Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo are in great shape and constantly holding their own, getting into the backfield and swatting down passes. — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026 In May, Barrett’s security detail worked with police to quickly deal with the call determined to be swatting, or a fake 911 call designed to provoke a police response. — ABC News, 14 July 2026 The worry was that adding sixteen teams would mean blowouts, the big sides swatting away the small ones. — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 Another customer said Roberts was also seen kicking and swatting chickens outside the store. — Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swatting
  1. smacking
  2. hitting
  3. slapping
  4. slamming
  5. knocking
  6. punching
  7. banging
  8. whacking
Verb
  • Carrington was ejected from the game in the first half after smacking Cunningham across the face during Cunningham's layup attempt.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Catcher Daniel Susac followed up Wednesday’s two-home-run game by smacking a two-run shot, and the Giants bullpen didn’t break down while protecting a 4-1 victory.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of smacking
Verb
  • Iamaleava looked poised in the pocket, going through multiple reads and hitting pass catchers across the field in an array of spots and formations.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Rising fuel prices caused by the instability at the Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb straits are hitting farmers in parts of the West just as harvest season opens.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of hitting
Verb
  • Canada is slapping hefty counter-tariffs on farm machinery, such as combine parts, mowing equipment and livestock trailers.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • He was asked about the interaction, and briefly talked about seeing all the reaction videos on X, including the AI one with Sarkisian slapping Rowe.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of slapping
Verb
  • New physics may only manifest at high-energy levels, the sort of energies that the LHC generates by slamming together protons at near light speed.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Suddenly, a 2004 Ford Expedition barreled into the intersection from the wrong direction at a high rate of speed, slamming into the middle of the bus.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of slamming
Verb
  • According to court documents, a woman told police that Pace, who was her child’s father, was inside her residence when her boyfriend, Adams, arrived and began knocking loudly on the door.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Next, the door becomes his battering ram, knocking three enemies down to the landing below him.
    — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of knocking
Verb
  • Since the turn of the century, car makers have been among the crown jewels of the German economy, punching above their weight in terms of investment and innovation.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026
  • See, the way my thighs are set up, running long distance in a pair of shorty shorts would just mean punching a one-way ticket to Chafe-town.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of punching
Verb
  • Sox right fielder Tristan Peters suffered a bruised shoulder/rib while banging into the outfield wall on Kevin McGonigle’s three-run triple in the fifth inning.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • In 2015, Ben Hiscox died after falling backwards and banging his head on the clubhouse wall during an amateur game at Stoke Gifford, near Bristol.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of banging
Verb
  • There are frightening stories of swordfish charging boats, and even spearing their transoms and whacking propellers.
    — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Yes, there were moments of humor, such as getting magic potions around the campfire at the end of each stage by whacking helpless little elves, but most of it was played straight, to great effect.
    — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of whacking

Browse Nearby Words

swatted
swatting
sway
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Cite this Entry

“Swatting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swatting. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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