as in slap
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
the impatient toddler got a swat on his wrist for stepping into the street by himself
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to smack
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
didn't sleep a wink all night because she was too busy swatting mosquitoes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of swat
Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
Breitbart is emblematic of the reordering of media swat that'll accompany President-elect Trump's inauguration 13 days from now.
—Mike Allen, Axios, 7 Jan. 2025
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 10 July 2025
Cal Raleigh swatted two homers on Friday night to extend his lead over Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for swat
Noun
Swatting occurs when someone reports an innocent person to law enforcement, accusing them of serious crimes, which results in armed police swat teams responding to the victims’ homes.
—Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
Breitbart is emblematic of the reordering of media swat that'll accompany President-elect Trump's inauguration 13 days from now.
—Mike Allen, Axios, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
To avoid drawing the ire of a nest, be aware of your surroundings and avoid nests and swatting at bees hanging out nearby, suggests Mayo Clinic.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 10 July 2025
Cal Raleigh swatted two homers on Friday night to extend his lead over Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for swat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swat
Noun
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So this isn’t a slap at the spending aspect of CUT.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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So the defense went out of its way to present witnesses who could corroborate Ventura Fine’s striking allegations of abuse. Of the slaps, punches and most of all the kicks delivered to the bodies of young women.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
3 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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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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Economic Trends First time and affordable home buyers are getting slammed.—
Jamie Gold,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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Fourteen people died when a Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad mail train slammed into the rear of a passenger train stopped for a signal in Western Springs.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
14 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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Instead, Sue goes all Mama Bear and uses her powers to knock him into the teleporter and then Silver Surfer has a change of heart and knocks him back in when Galactus tries to get out.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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In log rolling, two competitors face off on floating western red cedar logs, switching up treading speed and direction to try and knock their opponent off balance without touching each other.—
Maayan Silver,
NPR,
25 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
Verb
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The floods that hit the Hill Country nearly three weeks ago killed dozens of young girls at Camp Mystic, many of whose families live in the Houston region.—
Bayliss Wagner,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
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More: Bourbon, other U.S. spirits could soon be hit with retaliatory EU tariffs.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swat. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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