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
This is a court so conservative that it has been repeatedly slapped down by the Supreme Court, including in three out of 10 appeals from its rulings this term.
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Ruth Marcus, Washington Post, 3 July 2024
But Trump’s camp has already made sure to highlight attempts Biden has made to make good on his promise that have been slapped down.
—Max Thornberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 June 2024
That was, of course, not the high court’s decision, and in fact the court slapped down Arizona’s attempt to preempt federal powers on immigration.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2024
In 2021, employees raised alarms that efforts to bypass the algorithm — and pay for longer rehab stays — were getting slapped down at higher levels of the organization.
—Elaine Chen Reprints, STAT, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for slap down 
Ruth Marcus, Washington Post, 3 July 2024
But Trump’s camp has already made sure to highlight attempts Biden has made to make good on his promise that have been slapped down.
—Max Thornberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 June 2024
That was, of course, not the high court’s decision, and in fact the court slapped down Arizona’s attempt to preempt federal powers on immigration.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2024
In 2021, employees raised alarms that efforts to bypass the algorithm — and pay for longer rehab stays — were getting slapped down at higher levels of the organization.
—Elaine Chen Reprints, STAT, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for slap down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slap down
Verb
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ByteDance has tried to quell concerns about TikTok by noting 100% of U.S. traffic was routed to Oracle and U.S. Digital Service infrastructure in the United States as of 2022.Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
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Hopes of cease-fire and hostage exchange deal first confirmed by the U.S. and Qatar on Wednesday appeared to be quelled by the time Americans were waking up on Thursday morning.Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Some Korean veterans of that war were also involved in suppressing uprisings such as the one in Gwangju.Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
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Facebook played a major role in the 2020 election and came under fire from Trump and Republicans for allegedly suppressing conservative voices.Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The ceremony, traditionally celebratory, was subdued as protesters gathered outside the Capitol in San Juan.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
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Officers subdued her, handcuffed her and called fire rescue.Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Though the storm largely subsided by Tuesday morning, another weather system forecast is expected to spread a wintry mess from Texas to the East Coast later this week, which means people likely won't be able to put down the shovels anytime soon.Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
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Deciding how much to put down will come down to your own personal budget.Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near slap down
Cite this Entry
“Slap down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slap%20down. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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