1
as in bangs
a loud explosive sound
a clap of thunder that woke the whole house up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in thumps
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
a sharp clap to the head of the disrespectful youth
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in slaps
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
clapped him on the back as a friendly gesture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of claps
Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 18 Mar. 2026
That front will bring a chance of drizzle to the coast, a few claps of thunder to the Sacramento Valley and snow flurries to the Tahoe area.
—Anthony Edwards, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Mar. 2026
The latest in what appears to be an unending stream of storms thundered through the Bay Area on Tuesday, producing violent claps of thunder and lightning bright enough to light up momentarily the gray and sometimes dark sky.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
These were claps of relief and encouragement from a European audience bracing for a mauling like JD Vance’s onslaught last year.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
Lots of claps all around, as production in the area is still down significantly over five-year averages.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
Oscar-winning composer Daniel Blumberg was tasked with layering in claps, stomps and screams.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Listeners replied with claps and exclamations of eager agreement.
—Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
Some quarterbacks will inform their center that the plan is to snap the ball on two claps or sometimes even three.
—Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Calin Van Paris, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Poor Indigenous, Black, the people from the favelas, when the police go there and kill 120 people there, and the population basically claps and thinks that that’s great.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2025
Legacy is made from the small, repeatable disciplines no one claps for, but everyone benefits from.
—Cody Bjugan, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
And a couple claps their way through Swift's discography.
—Bryan West, The Tennessean, 8 Aug. 2025
Koko yelps and claps in surprise.
—David Cavell, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Green claps along, and is visibly impressed when Freeman hits that signature high note.
—Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2025
Detroit Pistons team owner Tom Gores claps during the press conference on July 30, 2021 at the Pistons Performance Center in Detroit, Michigan.
—Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2024
When the camera zooms in on Haines, the gnat can be seen buzzing around above her head (as evidenced in Entertainment Weekly's extremely serious investigative photos below) before Goldberg launches her military action and claps her hands while Haines speaks.
—EW.com, 3 Oct. 2024
Noun
Tears flowed, and the audience held space for grief, offering supportive claps and chants.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 18 Mar. 2026
That front will bring a chance of drizzle to the coast, a few claps of thunder to the Sacramento Valley and snow flurries to the Tahoe area.
—Anthony Edwards, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Mar. 2026
The latest in what appears to be an unending stream of storms thundered through the Bay Area on Tuesday, producing violent claps of thunder and lightning bright enough to light up momentarily the gray and sometimes dark sky.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
These were claps of relief and encouragement from a European audience bracing for a mauling like JD Vance’s onslaught last year.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
Lots of claps all around, as production in the area is still down significantly over five-year averages.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
Oscar-winning composer Daniel Blumberg was tasked with layering in claps, stomps and screams.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Listeners replied with claps and exclamations of eager agreement.
—Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
Some quarterbacks will inform their center that the plan is to snap the ball on two claps or sometimes even three.
—Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
His climber fails to get Camper Kyle to the ground in time, but Bauer claps enthusiastically.
—Calin Van Paris, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
Poor Indigenous, Black, the people from the favelas, when the police go there and kill 120 people there, and the population basically claps and thinks that that’s great.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2025
Legacy is made from the small, repeatable disciplines no one claps for, but everyone benefits from.
—Cody Bjugan, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
And a couple claps their way through Swift's discography.
—Bryan West, The Tennessean, 8 Aug. 2025
Koko yelps and claps in surprise.
—David Cavell, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Green claps along, and is visibly impressed when Freeman hits that signature high note.
—Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2025
Detroit Pistons team owner Tom Gores claps during the press conference on July 30, 2021 at the Pistons Performance Center in Detroit, Michigan.
—Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2024
When the camera zooms in on Haines, the gnat can be seen buzzing around above her head (as evidenced in Entertainment Weekly's extremely serious investigative photos below) before Goldberg launches her military action and claps her hands while Haines speaks.
—EW.com, 3 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claps
Noun
-
Graziose kept a photo of the quartet in which Griffin looks reed-thin and sports bangs.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Even my curtain bangs—which are constantly under heat—look smoother and retain bouncy volume after using the OUAI balm.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown, neighbors can still hear the thumps.—
Tyler Jett,
Des Moines Register,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Sporting a bright yellow raincoat and rainboots, Garcia pretends to be a journalist reporting on the storm in West Kendall as a palm tree leaf slaps her across the face.—
Xitlalic Montelongo,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Think Nvidia’s new feature that slaps an AI filter onto your favorite games looks like garbage?—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Loud booms could be heard across Israel as it was repeatedly targeted by barrages from Iran.—
JON GAMBRELL AND DAVID RISING THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The exhibition hall booms to the sound of pop and rap artists.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The room fills with the sound of meditative thuds against caribou skin drums and the haunting, throaty vocals of several Tasiilaq men and women.—
Megan Spurrell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Muffled thuds are heard, and the crying stops.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Dean Puckett, United Kingdom, 2025 A single mother and her child are put through a nightmarish ordeal when a politician knocks on their door.—
William Earl,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In the letter, obtained by The Dallas Morning News, Hancock knocks Paxton for how his agency allowed a Houston Muslim school into the Texas Education Freedom Accounts Program.—
Aarón Torres,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These secondary blasts added to the scale of destruction and raised concerns about the extent of damage in the area.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Eventually, amid depth-charge bass blasts and Spikeheart’s death-metal growls, a beat assembles itself, at first vaguely trap-like, then closer in spirit to UK funky.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At under $550, this tablet punches way above its weight!—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
28 Mar. 2026
-
What was the precise number of punches Brown dealt her?—
Pamela Colloff,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Claps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claps. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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