zapping

present participle of zap

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 zapping The clicking was from our electric fence, which was always zapping some errant grass, a misbehaving sheep, or a horny bull. — Chris Lee, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2026 No one seems happy to still be zapping themselves with electrodes. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 These 15 recipes are a major step up from zapping a bag of frozen broccoli. — Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zapping
Verb
  • Iamaleava looked poised in the pocket, going through multiple reads and hitting pass catchers across the field in an array of spots and formations.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Rising fuel prices caused by the instability at the Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb straits are hitting farmers in parts of the West just as harvest season opens.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Canada is slapping hefty counter-tariffs on farm machinery, such as combine parts, mowing equipment and livestock trailers.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • He was asked about the interaction, and briefly talked about seeing all the reaction videos on X, including the AI one with Sarkisian slapping Rowe.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Carrington was ejected from the game in the first half after smacking Cunningham across the face during Cunningham's layup attempt.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Catcher Daniel Susac followed up Wednesday’s two-home-run game by smacking a two-run shot, and the Giants bullpen didn’t break down while protecting a 4-1 victory.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • According to court documents, a woman told police that Pace, who was her child’s father, was inside her residence when her boyfriend, Adams, arrived and began knocking loudly on the door.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Next, the door becomes his battering ram, knocking three enemies down to the landing below him.
    — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Since the turn of the century, car makers have been among the crown jewels of the German economy, punching above their weight in terms of investment and innovation.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026
  • See, the way my thighs are set up, running long distance in a pair of shorty shorts would just mean punching a one-way ticket to Chafe-town.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Suddenly, a 2004 Ford Expedition barreled into the intersection from the wrong direction at a high rate of speed, slamming into the middle of the bus.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Back when the first trailer for Scream 7 was released last October, fans quickly began slamming the movie on social media, calling for a boycott.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Sox right fielder Tristan Peters suffered a bruised shoulder/rib while banging into the outfield wall on Kevin McGonigle’s three-run triple in the fifth inning.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • In 2015, Ben Hiscox died after falling backwards and banging his head on the clubhouse wall during an amateur game at Stoke Gifford, near Bristol.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • There are frightening stories of swordfish charging boats, and even spearing their transoms and whacking propellers.
    — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Yes, there were moments of humor, such as getting magic potions around the campfire at the end of each stage by whacking helpless little elves, but most of it was played straight, to great effect.
    — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Zapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zapping. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster