as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
public protests against the dictatorial government were always promptly slapped down
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Recent Examples of slap down
Council plans Hammersmith and Fulham, the local council where the trial is happening, has previously slapped down bike sharing companies for cluttering up streets, but Lime and Human Forest both operate there now.
—
Nicole Kobie, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
Whether or not that played into the Board of Medicine’s actions, the body slapped down the Settlement Agreement and offered a Counter Settlement Agreement, which Simmons accepted.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
Biden didn’t respond to those demands directly, leaving it to Schumer and Jeffries to slap down Trump’s debt-limit demand.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 24 Dec. 2024
Recent examples of people acting out of this same humble presumption—and being slapped down for it—are abundant.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for slap down
Nicole Kobie, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
Whether or not that played into the Board of Medicine’s actions, the body slapped down the Settlement Agreement and offered a Counter Settlement Agreement, which Simmons accepted.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
Biden didn’t respond to those demands directly, leaving it to Schumer and Jeffries to slap down Trump’s debt-limit demand.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 24 Dec. 2024
Recent examples of people acting out of this same humble presumption—and being slapped down for it—are abundant.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for slap down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slap down
Verb
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Killorn had quelled the Rangers momentum with a short-handed equalizer less than two minutes before New York reassumed control.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2025
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Here and there, far from Meemaw’s grave, a few small trees attempted, unsuccessfully, to quell the rage of a Texas sun.—
Robert Moor,
Outside Online,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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To tell the Blue Devils, basically, not to suppress their emotions.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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Older, post-menopausal women are especially susceptible, since lower estrogen levels can lead to decreased levels of beneficial bacteria that suppress infection-causing bacteria.—
Alice Park,
TIME,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Medium-bodied this has excellent ripeness, very good acidity, subdued wood notes, medium-weight tannins and very good persistence.—
Tom Hyland,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
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After an initial burst of optimism upon Trump’s election, growth now looks to be more subdued.—
Rob Wile,
NBC News,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The novel tactic uses the drone’s speed and maneuverability to put down smoke quickly in a precise pattern, and the results are impressive.—
David Hambling,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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Heathrow was shut as around 70 firefighters sought to put down the blaze at a nearby electrical substation in the west of London that knocked out power at the airport as well as the area's back-up power system.—
Catarina Demony,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slap down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slap%20down. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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