slap 1 of 2

verb

ˈslap How to pronounce slap (audio)
Definition of slapnext
1
as in to smack
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner she was so mad that she wanted to slap him right across the face

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to insult
to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in tired of jokes that slap people of faith

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

slap

2 of 2

noun

1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument doctors used to give newborns a light slap to get them to start breathing

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings that comment is a slap to anyone who has ever served in the military

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 slap
Verb
Chmerkovskiy's post, which has been deleted, reportedly appeared to reference Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, according to multiple entertainment news outlets. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 The Fresh Prince comment referred, unintentionally or not, to the infamous 2022 Oscar-night moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock across the face after the latter made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2026
Noun
Hundreds of those grants were later reinstated when a federal judge ruled that the slap-dash nature of the terminations violated the Administrative Procedures Act, which regulates how agencies are supposed to change policies. — Anil Oza, STAT, 17 Sep. 2026 Power, in-your-face attitude, and urgency are what make half of the Pretenders’ still-extraordinary 1978 debut slap. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for slap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slap
  1. smack
  2. insult
  3. blow
  4. sarcasm
  5. hit
  6. offend
  7. thump
  8. punch
Verb
  • Eventually, Bird’s film — with a script co-written by Matthew Robbins — gets to the meat of the action when Venus’ extremely complicated life runs smack into Ray and his knack for sniffing out bad guys.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The Eagles also have been smacked with injuries and played without several key starters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of smack
Verb
  • Letter writer regrets hanging up on a telemarketer without insulting her first.
    — Judith Martin, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In this storybook little village she is ostracized, acknowledged negatively by the town’s men for her fishy smell, insulted regularly when not being totally ignored.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of insult
Noun
  • Just when Kansas City appeared to be building momentum toward a Sunday night comeback, kicker Harrison Butker missed his second attempt of the night, dealing another blow to the Chiefs’ hopes.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Rutgers starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan left after sustaining a blow to the head 6 minutes, 25 seconds into the first quarter and didn’t return.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • There’s a hint of sarcasm in that statement, but also a dose of reality.
    — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Returning the sarcasm tends to cause the same problem, with two people annoyed instead of one.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of sarcasm
Verb
  • Social media giant Meta was hit with a class action lawsuit in Australia on behalf of children and teenagers who allegedly suffered harm over the addictive design features and exposure to harmful content on its platforms Facebook and Instagram.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For the past few years, Baba Stiltz has been hitting the open road with nothing but a guitar, a tape deck, and a few pedals.
    — Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of hit
Verb
  • David Spade thinks people have gotten a little too comfortable being offended.
    — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Interestingly, there is no statistically detectable difference in offending rates before college, suggesting the future fraternity members weren’t always fundamentally different in their behavior.
    — Jens Ludwig, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of offend
Noun
  • But the knock on them has been the lack of thump in their lineup.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The brutalist thump of drummer Moe Tucker renders the showmen in Led Zeppelin and the Who irrelevant.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of thump
Verb
  • The 25-year-old who was punched refused medical attention at the scene.
    — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The Rays punched their ticket to baseball’s biggest stage with a 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, taking the best-of-seven series four games to two.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of punch

Phrases Containing slap

Browse Nearby Words

slanty
slap
slapdash
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Cite this Entry

“Slap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slap. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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