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slap
1[ slap ]
noun
- a sharp blow or smack, especially with the open hand or with something flat.
- a sound made by or as if by such a blow or smack:
the slap of the waves against the dock.
- a sharply worded or sarcastic rebuke or comment.
verb (used with object)
- to strike sharply, especially with the open hand or with something flat.
- to bring (the hand, something flat, etc.) with a sharp blow against something.
- to dash or cast forcibly:
He slapped the package against the wall.
- to put or place promptly and sometimes haphazardly (often followed by on ):
The officer slapped a ticket on the car. He slapped mustard on the sandwich.
verb phrase
- to subdue, especially by a blow or by force; suppress.
- to reject, oppose, or criticize sharply:
to slap down dissenting voices.
slap
2[ slap ]
noun
- a gap or opening, as in a fence, wall, cloud bank, or line of troops.
- a mountain pass.
- a wound or gash.
verb (used with object)
- to make a gap or opening in; breach.
slap
/ æ /
noun
- a sharp blow or smack, as with the open hand, something flat, etc
- the sound made by or as if by such a blow
- a sharp rebuke; reprimand
- a bit of slap and tickle or slap and tickle informal.sexual play
- a slap in the facean insult or rebuff
- a slap on the backcongratulation
- a slap on the wrista light punishment or reprimand
verb
- tr to strike (a person or thing) sharply, as with the open hand or something flat
- tr to bring down (the hand, something flat, etc) sharply
- whenintr, usually foll by against to strike (something) with or as if with a slap
- informal.tr to apply in large quantities, haphazardly, etc
she slapped butter on the bread
- slap on the backto congratulate
adverb
- exactly; directly
slap on time
- forcibly or abruptly
to fall slap on the floor
Derived Forms
- ˈ, noun
Other Word Forms
- p noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of slap1
Origin of slap2
Word History and Origins
Origin of slap1
Idioms and Phrases
- slap on the wrist, relatively mild criticism or censure:
He got away with a slap on the wrist.
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
President Trump has threatened to slap new tariffs on Mexico for failing to deliver water under a decades-old treaty.
The U.S. has threatened to slap a 26% tariff on Indian exports — up from a baseline 10% covering exports from all nations — if no deal is reached during the tariff pause that stretches until July.
“The Wedding Banquet” doesn’t simply slap a new coat of paint on a faded project; it finds new resonance in a classic story, setting a standard every remake of this nature should aim for.
But slapping reciprocal tariffs on Washington is not the only way Beijing has been able to retaliate.
Beijing retaliated by slapping 125% tariffs on American goods, including California nuts and dairy products.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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