spank

1 of 3

verb (1)

spanked; spanking; spanks
Synonyms of spanknext

transitive verb

1
: to strike especially on the buttocks with the open hand
2
informal : to defeat decisively
… came out inspired and spanked their rivals by 23 points.Associated Press

spank

2 of 3

noun

plural spanks
: an act of spanking : a sharp slap or blow to the buttocks usually with the palm of the hand

spank

3 of 3

verb (2)

spanked; spanking; spanks

intransitive verb

: to move quickly, dashingly, or spiritedly
spanking along in his new car

Examples of spank in a Sentence

Verb (1) They believed that parents should not spank their children. Noun gave him a spank on the bottom
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
The Patriots spanked the Miami Dolphins 38-19, a one-sided affair that looks even worse considering that the Patriots appear to not be going anywhere any time soon. Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026 The stringent businessman makes Marty suffer and grovel for his money, at one point exerting his power by spanking the young man’s bare bottom with a wooden ping-pong paddle. Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025 Chalamet also maintained that level of commitment while filming sequences that saw him in physical pain, such as when costar Kevin O'Leary (of Shark Tank fame) spanks him with a paddle in one pivotal moment. Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 29 Dec. 2025 The on-screen bachelorette party has been done plenty times over, particularly on RHOA, but Jassi’s infectious personality makes the girls dressing up to give her lap dances and spank her feel fun and fresh. Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spank

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

imitative

Verb (2)

back-formation from spanking

First Known Use

Verb (1)

circa 1712, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1785, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1788, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spank was circa 1712

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spank. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

spank

verb
ˈspaŋk
: to strike on the buttocks with the open hand
spank noun

More from Merriam-Webster on spank

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster