Thesaurus results for SWATTING

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 The American military, despite its unrivaled power, has trouble swatting down swarms of cheap drones. —

Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 9 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 The officer then runs through the brush, swatting branches aside and calling out to the man. —

Siafa Lewis, CBS News, 27 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 Then Bryant flew in and stole the moment by swatting it away. —

Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026 Porter’s 5-year-old son struggled in vain to protect his mother, with Freeman swatting him aside as the child tried to push the killer off her body, according to Bronx Homicide Detective Robert Klein, who took over the investigation into the cold case murder in 2021. —

Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for swatting

Verb

Berfield — who played Reese, Dewey's older brother — watches the tween get picked on by a group of bullies before turning and smacking them with his bag.

— Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
During the eclipse, as the moon was cloaked in darkness, the crew members spotted flashes of light from meteoroids smacking into the lunar surface.

— Denise Chow, NBC news, 11 Apr. 2026