thwap

1 of 2

noun

ˈthwap 

plural thwaps

: a loud, heavy, slapping impact or the sound made by such an impact

The hiss and thwap of the water against the side of the ship was hypnotic.

—Melinda M. Snodgrass

In a moment she heard the outhouse door slam shut and another tin thwap.

—Thom Jones

thwap

2 of 2

verb

thwapped; thwapping; thwaps

transitive + intransitive

: to strike or slap against (something) with a loud, heavy, impact

… she thwapped the gorgeous mahogany desk …

—Rhoda Janzen

A beach ball thwapped the window, then rolled away.

—Antonya Nelson

… brought the simple dough together in a stand mixer and kneaded it there until it thwapped quite viciously against the sides of the bowl, threatening to topple it.

—Tejal Rao

He was way up the street, his cart parked in the middle of the sidewalk, his bag now slung over his shoulder, thwapping into the side of his leg with each long stride he made.

—Mary Carter

Examples of thwap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The old-school barbecue joint has a screen door that thwaps shut, hardly trapping in that delicious smell of smoke that’ll stick to your clothes. —Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 12 Sep. 2023

There was the thwap of the crossbow string, a hollow thud of the arrow hitting home, and then the fading rustle of the buck running off through the grass. —Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 3 Aug. 2023

After each splat and thwap, Smith walked the distance from the impact zone — where seeds and gooey pumpkin guts spilled onto the earth — to the target and quietly counted his paces. —Emily Mesner, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Oct. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Noun

imitative

First Known Use

Noun

1968, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1963, in the meaning defined above