1
as in thud
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
he gave the ball a hard thwack with the bat and sent it deep into the outfield
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in clap
a loud explosive sound
even from the top of the bleachers we could hear the loud thwack of the ball being hit
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
thwacked the growling dog on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thwack
Tyrone Turner, NPR, 12 Apr. 2025
The timpani pound relentlessly on D and A, the final notes accentuated by elephantine bass-drum thwacks.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Look down and there’s another scene: America’s power players – rich guys humbled by the task of thwacking a 1.62-ounce sphere from one spot to another.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for thwack
Noun
Spectators crowded the sidelines, cheering intensely for their team with each thwack of the croquet mallet.
—Tyrone Turner, NPR, 12 Apr. 2025
The timpani pound relentlessly on D and A, the final notes accentuated by elephantine bass-drum thwacks.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
Club World Cup viewers may remember the South American receiving the ball, skipping past an opponent, and thwacking in a long-range goal against Urawa Reds in June.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Look down and there’s another scene: America’s power players – rich guys humbled by the task of thwacking a 1.62-ounce sphere from one spot to another.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for thwack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thwack
Noun
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Sidney Crosby was silent, Evgeni Malkin’s misplay led to a goal and Erik Karlsson was responsible for two other goals against as the Penguins saw their six-game winning streak end with a thud in a 3-2 setback against the Ottawa Senators on Monday at PPG Paints Arena.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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At about two this morning, the familiar howl of air-raid sirens woke me in the center of Kyiv, followed by the low thuds of anti-aircraft cannons attempting to shoot down Russian drones.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Gac got the crowd going a bit at the Milan Ice Skating Arena, with their drum-heavy track drawing a clap-along from the stands.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
11 Feb. 2026
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Lots of claps all around, as production in the area is still down significantly over five-year averages.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Brookwood junior Collier Stanton extended his arm to the wall, glanced at the scoreboard and slapped the water as his older brother, Baylor, pumped his fist behind the block.—
Ansley Gavlak,
AJC.com,
8 Feb. 2026
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Having already tied his career-high in 3-pointers made, Fielder only had eyes for the basket, even as New Mexico’s Tomislav Buljan slapped through the back of his arm and drew the referee’s whistle.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Pitchers and catchers report This week, Albernaz gets a glimpse of his pitching staff and catchers, before the thump of an offensive lineup joins the workouts.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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For what felt like an eternity — but was really 20 minutes — the whole place was enveloped in an eerie silence, the only sound being the steady thump of techno-pop playing through the loudspeakers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Singer Carly Rae Jepsen also wore baby’s breath in her hair at her New York wedding, yet added it to a half-up, half-down hairstyle that allowed her bangs to come forward.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
7 Feb. 2026
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Shortly thereafter, the two women heard a loud bang and exited the bedroom to find Toth lying on the kitchen floor and staring blankly at the ceiling, the report said.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But tens of thousands of films are made each year, and quite a few of them break the rules, defy conventional narrative expectations and smack us deep in our souls.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
8 Feb. 2026
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Shepard attached the head of a 6-iron golf club to his sample collecting tool and was recorded smacking a couple golf balls across the lunar landscape.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Case considered a blow to Hong Kong media Lai founded Apple Daily in 1995, two years before Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule after 156 years as a British colony.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Liverpool were their own worst enemy as their hopes of Champions League qualification suffered another blow.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The sobering assessment stood in stark contrast to a year of headlines celebrating China’s AI boom.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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More broadly, the ongoing AI boom will also continue to boost Texas companies’ productivity, the Dallas Fed projected, while the state — and particularly North Texas — will also see a notable economic lift from the upcoming World Cup.—
Trevor Bach,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thwack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thwack. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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