1
as in bang
a loud explosive sound
a clap of thunder that woke the whole house up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in thump
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
a sharp clap to the head of the disrespectful youth
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
clapped him on the back as a friendly gesture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of clap
Colleen Bidwill, Mercury News, 16 June 2025
Countless videos have been posted online about clap boxes, showing guests having their magical minute of fame or trying to mess with the cast by going in and out of the box over and over again.
—Nicholas Kobe, People.com, 6 July 2025
Charlotte Observer, 3 July 2025
In response, his children and other supporters in the courtroom clapped.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for clap
Noun
In burlesque, the audience is enthusiastic and cheers and claps throughout, giving each performer a lot of support.
—Colleen Bidwill, Mercury News, 16 June 2025
Countless videos have been posted online about clap boxes, showing guests having their magical minute of fame or trying to mess with the cast by going in and out of the box over and over again.
—Nicholas Kobe, People.com, 6 July 2025
Verb
Past the nearly empty Lake Lure, guests clapped along to live music as Brock moved through the crowd, greeting regulars by name and welcoming new faces.
—Charlotte Observer, 3 July 2025
In response, his children and other supporters in the courtroom clapped.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for clap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clap
Noun
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With filming underway for The Devil Wears Prada 2, Anne Hathaway and 20th Century Studios are giving everyone a first look the actress’ Andy Sachs character, and something seems to be missing: her signature bangs.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
21 July 2025
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Gomez, always the goof in pics, is squatting in a pile of metallic balloons, reaching for the camera, while Swift, her bangs and red lipstick as perfectly in place as ever, leans back to gaze dreamily up at t—, are on brand for the duo.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
21 July 2025
Noun
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Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson give this team just enough thump to be dangerous.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
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The team pulled off a shocking blockbuster by landing franchise slugger Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox, immediately filling its need for some left-handed thump in the batting order.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Verb
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His vow to slap 30% tariffs on imports from the E.U. could be a negotiating tactic, but many in the wine industry are worried nevertheless.—
Russ Wiles,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
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So, slap their observations together and astronomers believed that'd paint a beautiful picture of the night sky in its totality.—
Monisha Ravisetti,
Space.com,
24 July 2025
Noun
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On the Mexico side of the border, Foxconn, Flex, Jabil and Dell all have operations and are benefitting from a boom in need for servers and related equipment being used to power the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry’s needs.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
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Witnesses reported hearing a massive boom around 7:30 a.m., followed by the shattering of glass and screams.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
Noun
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Smith shoved the gun in the guy’s gut, took the blow, then left.—
John J. Lennon,
Rolling Stone,
19 July 2025
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The title bout bore out as a chess match, as the ISL school traded blows with one of the top MIAA teams from the South Shore.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
19 July 2025
Verb
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Williams, once an endorsement queen, wore a logo-free black dress and white visor and played uncomplicated tennis, smacking nine aces and attacking at the first strike.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
23 July 2025
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If so, Denver has a solid duo set to fly around and smack some dudes over the middle of the field.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
16 July 2025
Noun
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All three department veterans; explosion’s cause unknown LOS ANGELES -- A blast at a Los Angeles County sheriff's department training facility Friday killed three members of its arson and explosives unit, marking one of the department's worst losses of life from a single incident, the sheriff said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 July 2025
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Mercury stationing retrograde in Leo sends you a few blasts from the past.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
18 July 2025
Noun
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In its new stage form—with a book by Lisa Loomer and Nell Benjamin and music and lyrics by Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez—those gaps of time make no difference to the force with which the looming presence of ICE in the life of its characters lands with a cruel thud in the chest.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2025
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The other shoe dropped with an unsettling thud recently when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt openly gay-bashed in defense of her controversial boss.—
Louis Balsamo,
Baltimore Sun,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clap. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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