slapped; slapping
1
a
: to strike sharply with or as if with the open hand
b
: to cause to strike with a motion or sound like that of a blow with the open hand
2
: to put, place, or throw with careless haste or force
slapped on a coat of paint
3
: to subject to a penalty
—usually used with with
slapped him with a $10 fine
4
: to assail verbally : insult
1
a
: a blow with the open hand
b
: a quick sharp blow
2
: a noise like that of a slap
see also slap on the wrist
Examples of slap in a Sentence
Verb
She slapped him across the face.
He slapped me on the back and said “Good job!”.
He called the dog by slapping his hand against his thigh.
Waves were slapping against the side of the boat.
Gentle waves slapped the side of the raft.
doctors used to give newborns a light slap to get them to start breathing
that comment is a slap to anyone who has ever served in the military
Adverb
I walked slap into the post.
Recent Examples on the Web
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
Following a heated confrontation where Paul slapped Punk across the face, the rivalry intensified with Punk retaliating by trapping Paul's ally, Pat McAfee, in a porta-potty.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
After exchanging some slaps in the ring, Vaquer gained the upper hand and hit another Devil's Kiss on Nikki before going to the corner for a corkscrew splash to grab the pinfall win.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slap
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Verb
According to the police report and witness statements, Crow allegedly shoved her, tried to slap her and lifted her off the ground.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
Following a heated confrontation where Paul slapped Punk across the face, the rivalry intensified with Punk retaliating by trapping Paul's ally, Pat McAfee, in a porta-potty.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Noun
Trouba opened the scoring in the first period with an undefended slap shot after an egregious Blackhawks turnover.
—CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
After exchanging some slaps in the ring, Vaquer gained the upper hand and hit another Devil's Kiss on Nikki before going to the corner for a corkscrew splash to grab the pinfall win.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slap
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Cite this Entry
“Slap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slap. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slap
1 of 3 noun1
: a quick sharp blow especially with the open hand
2
: a noise like that of a slap
slap
2 of 3 verb
slapped; slapping
1
a
: to strike with or as if with the open hand
b
: to make a sound like that of slapping
2
: to put, place, or throw with careless haste or force
slapped the book down on the desk
slap
3 of 3 adverbLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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