as in hitting
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
zapped the annoying bug with a swatter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of zapping
Scientists have been zapping brains to alleviate depression for decades through a method called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS.
—
O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026
Lasers that focus on zapping drones out of the sky.
—Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
Porzingis was limited to 42 games a year ago for the Boston Celtics in part because of an energy-zapping illness.
—Sam Gordon, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Feb. 2026
Salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) lauded for its exfoliating and anti-inflammatory properties, has long been the MVP of breakout control, but today’s best salicylic acid serums go well beyond zapping zits.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 27 Jan. 2026
Even with Slack zapping the number of emails sent, most people still waste so much time sifting through their inboxes.
—semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
For all of Earth history, lightning has been zapping the surface, today at the rate of 100 strikes a second.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
Team it with a broad spectrum, high factor sunscreen to further protect your skin against collagen-zapping UV rays.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 17 Oct. 2024
O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026
Lasers that focus on zapping drones out of the sky.
—Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
Porzingis was limited to 42 games a year ago for the Boston Celtics in part because of an energy-zapping illness.
—Sam Gordon, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Feb. 2026
Salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) lauded for its exfoliating and anti-inflammatory properties, has long been the MVP of breakout control, but today’s best salicylic acid serums go well beyond zapping zits.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 27 Jan. 2026
Even with Slack zapping the number of emails sent, most people still waste so much time sifting through their inboxes.
—semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
For all of Earth history, lightning has been zapping the surface, today at the rate of 100 strikes a second.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
Team it with a broad spectrum, high factor sunscreen to further protect your skin against collagen-zapping UV rays.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 17 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zapping
Verb
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Jocytė finished with three points in 16 minutes, most notably calling for an isolation against Clark and hitting a 3-pointer in her face.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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Not even the bonus of a Yeremy Pino free kick hitting both posts yet somehow staying out could help Rayo respond.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The squad congregated outside the dressing room, slapping hands and hugging each other.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
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Video from the incident shows Shields slapping Baumgardner's hand to punctuate a heated exchange.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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
-
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
-
Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
-
Sounds like big savings knocking on your doorstep.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2026
Verb
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After a breakup, the teen was spotted punching a tree and behaving irrationally, the declaration states.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2026
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Surveillance images of a man accused of punching two people on a CTA train at the Belmont stop for the Red, Brown, and Purple lines on May 25, 2026.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Footage of the game then showed George hobbling back to the dugout, slamming his helmet in frustration.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
Reyes is accused of intentionally slamming his SUV into the rear of the ICE agent's white pickup truck while the officer was performing official duties, according to the indictment.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
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The new transmission responded more quickly and reduced involuntary head banging in the car’s cabin.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
28 May 2026
-
Levu remained hot, banging home an RBI single in the bottom of the third, cutting the deficit by a run.—
Jack Vita,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Verb
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Larry Hayes, 86, and Bill Moniz, 79, hit the tennis courts in Mountain View three to four times a week — whacking balls across the net as teammates for one to three hours a week.—
Panashe Matemba-Mutasa,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Zapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zapping. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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