as in smacking
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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Recent Examples of thwacking
Modern readers may take heart in the fact that there are many excellent critics thwacking through the slop—albeit with freelance machetes, on newfangled platforms.
—
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Max Weinberg sat at his set, thwacking his floor tom, while Lahav fiddled with his dials, stalked into the studio to unplug, replug, and then just physically move the microphone closer to the set, then to the side, and then farther away.
—Peter Ames Carlin, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025
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
With three classes of accommodation on board, passengers can sit at the windows of vintage cabins paneled with polished cherrywood and draped with blush pink silks as the train rumbles through rubber and palm plantations, giant leaves thwacking the sides.
—Monisha Rajesh, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Jan. 2024
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Max Weinberg sat at his set, thwacking his floor tom, while Lahav fiddled with his dials, stalked into the studio to unplug, replug, and then just physically move the microphone closer to the set, then to the side, and then farther away.
—Peter Ames Carlin, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025
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
With three classes of accommodation on board, passengers can sit at the windows of vintage cabins paneled with polished cherrywood and draped with blush pink silks as the train rumbles through rubber and palm plantations, giant leaves thwacking the sides.
—Monisha Rajesh, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thwacking
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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However, when his past comes knocking, he is forced to confront it.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
22 May 2026
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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
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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
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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
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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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Household items, including an air-conditioner, shot outward, slamming into the building across the narrow street.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
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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
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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
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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
“Thwacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thwacking. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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