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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Recent Examples of swatting
There was all these swatting incidents.
—
Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was the target of a swatting call the same day as the Villanova incident.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
This all-new podcast takes listeners to the small town of Elberton, GA and on a wild ride through granite quarries, graves, cults, Confederate monuments, a swatting raid, and A LOT of explosives.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
City are a bigger, stronger team than Chelsea in almost every position, and those advantages manifested clearly in Nico O’Reilly swatting Andrey Santos aside to nod in their first goal and Jeremy Doku bustling Moises Caicedo off the ball to run through and smash in their third.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Experts advise moving slowly away from the area, avoiding sudden movements or swatting and seeking shelter indoors or in a vehicle if necessary.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Mhoon locked in on defense, swatting away shots as TKA’s rim protector while coming up with huge rebounds.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2026
After Hadel pushes Brown back once, Brown is shown swatting at him again.
—Mathew Schumer, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026
Over the course of the last six months, McBrien and the AJC team traveled to the small town of Elberton for an investigation that led them to granite quarries, graves, a swatting raid and a deep dive in explosives.
—Hugo Rojo, AJC.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was the target of a swatting call the same day as the Villanova incident.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
This all-new podcast takes listeners to the small town of Elberton, GA and on a wild ride through granite quarries, graves, cults, Confederate monuments, a swatting raid, and A LOT of explosives.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
City are a bigger, stronger team than Chelsea in almost every position, and those advantages manifested clearly in Nico O’Reilly swatting Andrey Santos aside to nod in their first goal and Jeremy Doku bustling Moises Caicedo off the ball to run through and smash in their third.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Experts advise moving slowly away from the area, avoiding sudden movements or swatting and seeking shelter indoors or in a vehicle if necessary.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Mhoon locked in on defense, swatting away shots as TKA’s rim protector while coming up with huge rebounds.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2026
After Hadel pushes Brown back once, Brown is shown swatting at him again.
—Mathew Schumer, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026
Over the course of the last six months, McBrien and the AJC team traveled to the small town of Elberton for an investigation that led them to granite quarries, graves, a swatting raid and a deep dive in explosives.
—Hugo Rojo, AJC.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swatting
Verb
-
Chicago rookie Munetaka Murakami became the first player in major league history to homer in the first game of eight straight series, smacking a solo shot off Emerson Hancock (3-1) in the first.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
-
Chicago rookie Munetaka Murakami became the first player in major league history to homer in the first game of eight straight series, smacking a solo shot off Emerson Hancock (3-1) in the first.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Kay, meanwhile, rebounded after a first inning filled with traffic — two singles and hitting a batter with a pitch — to top his previous career high of 5 2/3 innings.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
-
As Kelsey Luderer rounded third base and headed home Thursday after hitting a game-tying home run that ignited Sherman Oaks Notre Dame to a 6-3 Division 1 softball playoff win over Anaheim Canyon, she was greeted by every teammate at the plate.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
At the surrounding tables patrons were talking, laughing, slapping one another heartily on the back.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
From Rome, Rubio announced the administration was slapping additional sanctions on Cuba.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Household items, including an air-conditioner, shot outward, slamming into the building across the narrow street.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
-
The president was deeply involved in the contest, repeatedly slamming Massie in social media posts and public comments leading up the May 19 primary election.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
However, when his past comes knocking, he is forced to confront it.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
22 May 2026
-
The footmen of such regimes always come knocking on your door at around four in the morning.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
Lead Ambitiously Embracing ambitious goals enables companies to break free from limitations and rewrite the rules of competition by punching above their weight.—
Kapil Jain,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
When Kansas City officials talk about punching above their weight class as a sports market, rankings like the one issued Monday by the Sports Business Journal support the claim.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Howden doubled the lead with a shorthanded goal 7½ minutes later, finding miles of space just to the right of the goal and banging in a pass from Marner that split LaCombe and Alex Killorn.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
-
On Wednesday evening, Associated Press journalists saw residents in numerous neighborhoods banging pots and pans and setting fire to trash cans to protest the blackouts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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And the crowd clearly expected that pucks whacking the nets would be at a premium in this series, too.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
-
But, really, just being on the island feels like meditative wellness, including taking a golf club and a biodegradable ball from the island shop and whacking it into the sea.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swatting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swatting. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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