as in slap
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
delivered a quick spank to the child's bottom for disobedience
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spank
Fred Katz, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
Inter Miami underlined its status as MLS favorites with a 5-0 home spank of rival Orlando City Saturday on two goals apiece from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, leaving the Herons unbeaten (two wins, one draw) in three games.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024
Cynthia Hanson, Parents, 2 Jan. 2025
In 2014, he was charged with felony child abuse after using a switch to spank his then 4-year-old son, which resulted in a suspension.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for spank
Noun
After one dribble, Jokić stepped twice, squared from the opposite arc and hurled a 50-foot Hail Mary that began at his chest and ended with a loud spank off the top of the glass.
—Fred Katz, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
Inter Miami underlined its status as MLS favorites with a 5-0 home spank of rival Orlando City Saturday on two goals apiece from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, leaving the Herons unbeaten (two wins, one draw) in three games.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024
Verb
While past methods of child discipline often included corporal punishments such as spanking, many of today's parents are interested in more gentle and positive methods.1 Experts suggests this is likely the right direction.
—Cynthia Hanson, Parents, 2 Jan. 2025
In 2014, he was charged with felony child abuse after using a switch to spank his then 4-year-old son, which resulted in a suspension.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for spank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spank
Noun
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The strategy, as well as the sheer shock value of the slaps, has produced impressive social media statistics for Power Slap and solid viewership numbers on Rumble.—
Matt Craig,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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Can anyone actually remember anything that happened after the slap?—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Yates took his anger out on a chair, smacking the bench, the redshirt freshman guard dropping 18 points and three threes to little avail.—
Luca Evans,
Orange County Register,
15 Feb. 2025
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For the last three weeks, Democrats up and down the seniority list have been stuck playing an especially frustrating game of Whac-a-Mole: smack the outrage of the hour and then race to hit the next one, never quite leveling the field.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Still, despite how hip all the kids were, when the music picked up, the crowd had trouble syncing their bouncing to the thump of the beats—understandable because the StepTeam production style is based around sporadic bursts of rattling percussion with the wobbly rhythms of a mountain bike race.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
28 Feb. 2025
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For those who want a deeper and more resonant sound, there’s a bass boost button to add more thump to the beat.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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According to the online world, in comparison, Conan knocked it out the park with his jokes and songs.—
Callum Booth,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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My ignorance about menopause knocked any such certainties firmly aside.—
Rebecca Mead,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Spanish soccer giant Real Madrid announced a huge KO injury blow which Cope - citing anonymous sources - expects to sideline the first team starting player in question for around two months.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Of course, Seidler likely didn’t envision the franchise would lose its local TV partner, dealing a financial blow.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The Frost had one great chance to tie the game in the closing seconds after pulling their goaltender, but Claire Thompson’s screen shot from the point banged off the post.—
Dean Spiros,
Twin Cities,
23 Feb. 2025
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The junior midfielder banged in both goals of the Farmers’ 2-0 victory over crosstown opponent Mt. Eden.—
Joseph Dycus,
The Mercury News,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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In the short term, Google is likely to face a PR hit, Driscoll said, but the financial risks are greater in the long term.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
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Familiar hits may drive short-term engagement, but the danger is a musical ecosystem reduced to endless remixes of yesterday’s tunes.—
Seth Yudof,
Rolling Stone,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Add the egg whites: In the clean bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form, 4-5 minutes.—
Peter Burke,
Fox News,
6 Mar. 2025
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The wind up here had whipped the snow into a sharp rib that came to a point on Denali’s Archdeacon’s Tower.—
Cassidy Randall,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spank. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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