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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of thwacking
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
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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But a leadoff walk in the top of the 9th allowed Eugenio Suárez to knock in what would prove to be the winning run, smacking a double to left center field and scoring pinch runner Javier Sonoja.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Her furious attempts to extricate herself from Ramirez ended with her smacking her head on the parking lot asphalt and Ramirez hitting her in the right eye, according to the arrest report.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When the Rockets called a time out, the Lakers bench all ran over to Doncic, hugging him, slapping him and James nudging him for a job very well done.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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About 15 minutes later, another 911 call comes in from a woman named Jane Kowalski, who sees Denise Lee slapping the back window of King's car and hears her screaming for help.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After hitting 11 of their first 17 attempts, the Bison finished 14 of 29.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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The problem is the film just keeps hitting this same note over and over without ever caring to explore the psychology that underpins this.—
Chase Hutchinson,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hellebuyck misplayed the puck behind the net on a wraparound, inadvertently knocking it out front for Reichel to swat in.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Its branches reached all the way to the top floor of the house, almost knocking at the windows when prompted by the wind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The 18-year-old was taken off the oval in 2022 for allegedly punching a high school classmate in the groin, leading to a felony charge that was reduced to a misdemeanor before eventually being dropped.—
David K. Li,
NBC news,
18 Mar. 2026
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In early January 2025, police were called to the Aliquippa VFW when Ours was accused of repeatedly punching and strangling another man, later identified as Preston Coleman.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On March 7, residents in parts of Havana took to the streets to express their discontent by banging pots and pans and lighting bonfires.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
18 Mar. 2026
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Amid a deep humanitarian crisis and blackouts lasting more than 20 hours a day, Cubans are taking to the streets to express their discontent with pot-banging protests and demanding freedom.—
Sarah Moreno
March 16,
Miami Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Phillips then allegedly rushed the officer, wrapped his arms around him and lifted him off the ground before slamming him onto the pavement, leaving the officer with a concussion and a head laceration.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
18 Mar. 2026
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Avoid hard acceleration or slamming the brakes Maintaining a steady speed while driving is another way to maximize fuel efficiency.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His young nephew provided the entertainment, whacking a plastic ball around with a toy club on the lawn, replicating pro golf mannerisms a little too closely.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
15 Mar. 2026
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These plays are often brilliant, and even lesser variants are fun to watch, because piñata-whacking itself is a naughty thrill, a cathartic fantasy for anyone with a family and/or a secret.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thwacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thwacking. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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