1
as in thud
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
he gave the ball a hard thwack with the bat and sent it deep into the outfield
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in clap
a loud explosive sound
even from the top of the bleachers we could hear the loud thwack of the ball being hit
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
thwacked the growling dog on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 thwack
Ava Wallace, Washington Post, 6 July 2024
The movie’s silence is so loaded with the anxiety, obstinance, inchoate anger and desire for anonymity of the traumatized teenage sportswoman that the constant thwack of her racquet hitting the ball cuts through the tension like violent shocks.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 May 2024
Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 8 Dec. 2023
The videos had been spliced into a mash-up and served to me on Instagram as a looping carousel of orange squares thwacking babies silly.
—Amanda Hess, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for thwack
Noun
Things fall almost eerily silent as players prepare to serve, and even then, the usual thwack of a tennis ball hitting the court is muffled by the grass.
—Ava Wallace, Washington Post, 6 July 2024
The movie’s silence is so loaded with the anxiety, obstinance, inchoate anger and desire for anonymity of the traumatized teenage sportswoman that the constant thwack of her racquet hitting the ball cuts through the tension like violent shocks.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 May 2024
Verb
No more thwacking away at cold dough on your countertop.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 8 Dec. 2023
The videos had been spliced into a mash-up and served to me on Instagram as a looping carousel of orange squares thwacking babies silly.
—Amanda Hess, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for thwack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thwack
Noun
-
That the episode doesn’t engage with weightier questions around representation and A.I. only makes its bittersweet ending, in which Brandy is gifted another A.I. prototype of Dorothy, land with a thud.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
17 Apr. 2025
-
In the new court filing, phone records show Mortensen tried calling the other four roommates – but got no response – around the time when security camera from a residence close to the home picked up at 4:17 a.m. distorted audio of voices, a whimper, followed by a loud thud, and a barking dog.—
Lauren del Valle,
CNN,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
JuJu Watkins, the star sophomore, stared blankly ahead, offering only a slow, deliberate clap.—
Austin Knoblauch,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Kansas City is also trying to set the world record for the largest collection of claps and is inviting all who visit to help be a part of it, Cocoran said.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
8 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
That proved a terrible bet for the Ukrainians, since the likelihood of Putin entering peace talks when tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers were occupying a piece of Mother Russia was about as low as the S&P 500 doubling in value after Trump slapped tariffs on everybody.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
-
The conversation between the Beijing administration and the EU chief takes place after Washington last Wednesday slapped China and the EU with reciprocal tariffs of 34% and 20%, respectively.—
Dan Mangan,Kevin Breuninger,John Melloy,Ruxandra Iordache,Christina Wilkie,Erin Doherty,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Rami Sinno is crouched beside a filing cabinet, wrestling a beach-ball sized disc out of a box, when a dull thump echoes around his laboratory.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Then the silence was broken by the loud thump of Olive’s .38/40.—
Horace R. Hinkley,
Outdoor Life,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Marsai Martin’s chignon and a Josephine Baker-esque side bang meant business, closing out the week with professional elegance.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Those events will fling material in all directions, triggering the same double bang in the other white dwarf.—
Paul Smaglik,
Discover Magazine,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Pennsylvania’s drift to the right was the fourth largest of the seven, smack in the middle.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Still, the Yankees managed to make things interesting in the ninth inning, as Volpe smacked a three-run homer off Arizona lefty A.J. Puk to cut the deficit to one.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The endorsement was a boon to Mr. Cuomo, 67, and a blow to his rivals.—
Nicholas Fandos,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The result is just tit-for-tat subversion and another blow to America’s supposedly nonpartisan system of justice.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Trump’s protectionist approach to global trade, however, threatens to stymie the boom that has powered Vietnam’s economic rise for the last decade.—
Stephanie Yang,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2025
-
New York City helicopter crash latest: Authorities search for answers after 6 killed The main fuselage, including the cockpit and cabin, the forward portion of the tail boom, the horizontal stabilizer finlets and the vertical fin have all been recovered, according to the agency.—
Riley Hoffman,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thwack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thwack. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share