1
as in bang
a loud explosive sound
a clap of thunder that woke the whole house up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in thump
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
a sharp clap to the head of the disrespectful youth
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
clapped him on the back as a friendly gesture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clap
Michael Saponara, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2025
The joyous screams and claps of hundreds of high school students boomed outside the sanctuary at Murewa Centre Mission of the United Methodist Church.
—Liam Adams, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Oct. 2025
Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Kittle was trying to encourage his teammates as he was being carted off, clapping in their direction.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clap
Noun
Introduced by Nick and Vanessa Lachey, Smith rocked the Love Is Blind stage with his stomp-clap anthem alongside a full live band while the season 9 contestants made their way inside the venue listening to the catchy tune.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2025
The joyous screams and claps of hundreds of high school students boomed outside the sanctuary at Murewa Centre Mission of the United Methodist Church.
—Liam Adams, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
So much so that some middle school quarterbacks enter high school having learned only to clap when ready for the ball.
—Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Kittle was trying to encourage his teammates as he was being carted off, clapping in their direction.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clap
Noun
-
Micro bangs These cheeky micro bangs topped our experts’ predictions for 2026.—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
10 Jan. 2026
-
From a distance, A’zion’s hairline disappeared under her bangs, which were gelled into tiny ripples on her forehead.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Jin Shin has come across some monster potholes over the last couple of weeks, including one in Koreatown that rattled his car with a sickening thump and another near the airport where its depth was obscured by water.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Twitchy enough to line up off the edge or run with a tight end in the slot, Fisher (6-1, 231) is a bit small but brings enough thump to be the type of linebacker who never has to leave the field.—
Nick Baumgardner,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Five players were booked during their defeat to Cameroon, including Foster, who slapped the linesman’s hand twice and screamed in his face in frustration over a decision.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Mimicking what happened seven years earlier after the Dallas playoff win in Charlotte, the players ran back outside and took a lap around the stadium, slapping hands with delirious home fans.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The result is clearer calls, no ugly boom mic and far less background noise.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
-
While much of the public debate focuses on the potential for AI to replace white-collar jobs, Huang pointed to an immediate boom in blue-collar employment required to physically construct the new computing economy.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Aaron Gordon reinjured his right hamstring late in the first half, the latest blow to a Nuggets team that has been inching closer to full health.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
-
That was a blow to a Red Sox team that struggled to score runs during its three-game loss to the Yankees in their Wild Card series.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Stiddy is the guy who throws no-look passes in practice and talks smack to the starting defense.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Things often turn uglier after nightfall, when the convoys return and the protesters sometimes grow angrier, shaking fences and occasionally smacking passing cars.—
Tim Sullivan,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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While that’s less than Monday’s 6,100 cancellations and Sunday’s 11,600—the most since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic—airlines could face further disruptions as another arctic blast looms later this week.—
Jordan Erb,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
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Most of them were in the South, where weekend blasts of freezing rain caused tree limbs and power lines to snap, inflicting crippling outages on northern Mississippi and parts of Tennessee.—
Russ Bynum,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And then, when Stafford and Rodgers and the Titans said no thanks, Schoen landed with a thud on … Russell Wilson.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The Panthers’ run game ended the 2025 regular season with a thud.—
Mike Kaye
Updated January 7,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clap. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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