as in slaps
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
Relevance
as in smacks
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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of swats
CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
And when Melbourne still attempts to challenge the two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Wilson swats it away with ease.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swats
Noun
The Wolverines had only three swats against Arizona, but that was a 91-73 win in a game that was supposed to be the best of the tournament but turned into something else.
—CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
What’s next, a robotic baseball player named Babe that swats 500-foot home runs and throws 120 mph pitches, eclipsing Shohei Ohtani’s real-life achievements and commanding a billion dollar contract?
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
And when Melbourne still attempts to challenge the two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Wilson swats it away with ease.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swats
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swats
Noun
-
Leonard extended his 20-point streak to 49 straight games with 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting, welcoming hand slaps from teammates after hitting his second 3-pointer late in the game.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
-
For the Dominican Republic, Guerrero flashed the same chest slaps and spiked bats that punctuated his postseason homers.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The boy smacks him in the mouth and then immediately starts crying.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
-
An attack rears its ugly head, and the security team smacks it down.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With a lifelong love of the weight room and a good core of swipes, chops and bull rushes, Young offers a physical presence on both the interior and edge.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Our interface makes intelligent use of swipes and gestures rather than tapping or dialing.—
David Szondy
April 25,
New Atlas,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At that house, no one answered a Statesman reporter’s knocks on Monday, but Davidson told the Statesman that his family owns the whole lot.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Apr. 2026
-
For one thing, precedent says that Waddle’s production this fall should, health permitting (knocks on wood), just about double whatever numbers Cooper puts out as a rookie for the J-E-T-S in 2026.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown, neighbors can still hear the thumps.—
Tyler Jett,
Des Moines Register,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The nonprofit holds a 26% stake, plus warrants if OpenAI hits certain valuation targets.—
Deepa Seetharaman,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Searchlight is in development on Lottery, a Permut Presentations drama about a young man with Down syndrome who, after winning the lottery, flees his estranged mother and hits the road with a charming new friend who has ulterior motives of her own.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Pitch invasions, punches thrown (allegedly) and promotion by a whisker in the 103rd minute.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Dallas and Minnesota throw punches from your weight class.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In other words, automatic registration slams the courthouse door on women, but not on men, because registration is its own injury.—
Wendy Murphy,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In the standard picture, particles gain energy at a termination shock, where the pulsar wind slams into surrounding material.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swats. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
