SLAPPING Synonyms: 162 Similar and Opposite Words

slapping

verb

present participle of slap

as in smacking

to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner she was so mad that she wanted to slap him right across the face

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in insulting

to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in tired of jokes that slap people of faith

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of slapping Iran has tried to push world energy prices higher with attacks on the region's oil shipping routes; the United States, in turn, has aimed to wreck Iran's economy by blockading its ports since June and slapping it with increasingly tough sanctions. — Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026 The officers walked over to the man and told him to place his hands behind his back, slapping him in cuffs in front of customers and coworkers. — Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026 Canada is slapping hefty counter-tariffs on farm machinery, such as combine parts, mowing equipment and livestock trailers. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026 He was asked about the interaction, and briefly talked about seeing all the reaction videos on X, including the AI one with Sarkisian slapping Rowe. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026 And instead of losing five yards and having Herbert, in a rare show of emotion, slapping the turf in frustration, the Chargers probably would have gotten a fresh set of downs. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 Arch Manning's joking comments at a news conference about a fake video of coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe erupted in controversy. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026 Texas quarterback Arch Manning apologized Tuesday for publicly joking about an AI-altered video that depicted Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe in the moments after Texas' big win over Ohio State. — CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026 Not only did the boycott fail to keep the company from slapping its Black customers in the face with its Jim Crow costume, but the insult happened with two Black men on the company’s board of directors. — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slapping

Verb

But Varma and Shivam Dube (27) upped the ante in the final three overs by smacking 57 runs against Sufyan Moqim, Ayub and Ahmed Daniyal.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Carrington was ejected from the game in the first half after smacking Cunningham across the face during Cunningham's layup attempt.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of smacking

Verb

How odd that your in-laws can call your bed old and ugly, but balk at insulting their neighbor’s castoffs by not using them.

— Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2026
Trump has also lashed out at individual reporters in person or over social media, sometimes in strikingly personal terms -- insulting them in briefings, or in his recent speech at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of insulting

Verb

The national Democratic effort to defeat Collins kept going; now the party is spending millions on an ad hitting her for a ProPublica story about her links to a corrupt defense contractor.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Last year in Arizona, a motorcyclist was fatally injured after hitting a Waymo and being flung into the road.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of hitting

Verb

The danger here is not just offending the sensibilities of a group that the marketing team had not considered, but also that group sharing their offense with friends and relatives in their countries of origin.

— Ivan Doruda, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
For that, their game — analyzing randomness and violence and doing so without offending our intelligence — has become as important to the American audience as The Game.

— Candace Buckner, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of offending

Verb

For the hearing impaired, select rooms feature visual fire alarms plus signals for telephone ringing and door knocking.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Political handicapping has a way of knocking people down a couple of notches.

— Nathan Gonzales CQ-Roll Call, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of knocking

Verb

The Hitlerite hordes are murdering and outraging the peaceful inhabitants of our country, having no mercy on women, children or old people.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
On Day 1 of the truce, and in the days since, Israel has stepped up attacks against Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, in Lebanon, outraging Iran and leading to accusations the terms had been breached.

— Justin Fishel, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026

Definition of outraging

Verb

Bella chews him out for punching Angus in the face right before Angus’s big presentation, which Johnny knew about because they were supposed to throw a return supper for him, a dinner Johnny was supposed to cook.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Castro whips her head around and follows him, punching him in the back.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of punching

Verb

Donalds’ speech ran the gamut of Republican campaign points, from slamming COVID lockdowns to border crossings.

— Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
On the same day, HHS senior adviser Calley Means doubled down on the claim, posting on X that Kennedy is doing so well that Democratic operatives are slamming the FDA for doing its job by conducting food recalls.

— Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026