How to Use smackdown in a Sentence

smackdown

noun
  • The public’s disses seem to have stung as much as Kendrick’s five-song smackdown.
    — Zoe Guy, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
  • For now, people are going with it until someone lays the smackdown.
    — Meirav Devash, Allure, 25 June 2018
  • The tariffs ruling is indeed a smackdown.
    — David Pozen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Tonight was the quarter-finals, and, as usual, the two celebrities with the least amount of votes went toe-to-toe in a smackdown.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 9 May 2024
  • Awaiting Wendy’s next smackdown has become a spectator sport for some.
    — Julie Jargon, WSJ, 25 July 2017
  • Flamingo is the winner of the face-off, after Leopard gets voted to the smackdown.
    — Robbie Daw, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2019
  • A week ago, a Friday smackdown with the Thunder would have been must-watch theatre, but the stakes have changed.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
  • All Stars, in the form of a lip-sync smackdown for Rudemption in the competition.
    — Justin Curto, Vulture, 20 Aug. 2021
  • The judges determined the winner of the smackdowns, and the two losers were ultimately unmasked at the end of the episode.
    — Dana Rose Falcone, PEOPLE.com, 25 Sep. 2019
  • Imagine that, without any apparent reason to do so, the AI urges users to do a smackdown.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
  • That left Boogie Woogie and Coral to battle it out in a smackdown for the third finale slot.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 1 May 2025
  • Scooby is great and all, but Lizard was not done any favors having to sing that song, and found himself in the smackdown for a second time.
    — Lauren Huff, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
  • The political fireworks forecast is dismal, with the chance of a good smackdown remote.
    — Paul Jenkins, Alaska Dispatch News, 30 June 2017
  • Musk’s smackdown came in response to statements Pinker made on a Wired podcast released a few days prior.
    — David Z. Morris, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2018
  • Count on executing a three-figure smackdown this time, Sonny Dykes, just to play it safe.
    — Dallas News, 10 Nov. 2022
  • Each comes with a mix of melee, ranged, counter, and special attacks, and each can put the serious smackdown on large crowds of generic robo-soldier foes.
    — Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 5 Aug. 2020
  • Will Smith’s smackdown was just that, lighting up social media as millions around the globe tried to figure out what just happened.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2022
  • But the takeaway from Saturday's smackdown shouldn't be about the Tigers coming up short in the biggest game of the year.
    — Khari Thompson, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2021
  • Here’s the rundown on Mater Dei’s 45-3 smackdown of Duncanville.
    — Eric Sondheimer Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2021
  • That led to a smackdown between Goo and Strawberry Shortcake for the third spot moving on.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 5 Dec. 2024
  • This, of course, meant Goo and Strawberry Shortcake were left to battle it out in the new smackdown format.
    — Lauren Huff, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2024
  • The two singers with the least number of votes, facing off in a smackdown to determine who would be unmasked, were Tiki and Hawk.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 25 Oct. 2023
  • After these back-to-back smackdowns, some Federal Circuit judges started to get the message.
    — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, 21 June 2018
  • There’s a mix of the new-wave passing game with crossing routes, picks and run-pass options, but the Ravens just deliver good, old-fashioned smackdowns.
    — Mike Preston, baltimoresun.com, 17 Nov. 2019
  • The four queens with the most Legendary Legend Stars at the end of the competition will fight for the crown in a lip sync smackdown.
    — Stephen Daw, Billboard, 23 May 2022
  • Many outdoorsy folks will happily slog for hours toward outdoor fun, despite the fact that any number of adventure derailing smackdowns await us.
    — Outside Online, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The two singers with the least number of votes, facing off in a smackdown to determine who would be unmasked, were Royal Hen and Hawk.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 18 Oct. 2023
  • Galanin’s photograph of these words, a smackdown of the Hollywood sign two hours away, hangs in the Tsai Residence living room.
    — Michelle Falkenstein, USA TODAY, 29 Sep. 2021
  • Dolphins offense puts the smackdown in Charlotte, North Carolina.
    — Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2025
  • The smackdown is the result of the NRA’s fanatical opposition to even the mildest reforms.
    — Stu Bykofsky, Philly.com, 7 Mar. 2018

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smackdown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: