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
Right away, he got slapped down by the Revolutionary Guard.
—
NBC news,
15 Mar. 2026
The White House argued that a national security law dating back to the 1970s—the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—gives the President the authority to declare an emergency and slap down tariffs on his own.
—
Philip Wang,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
Time and time again, courts have slapped down these strong-arm tactics that lack the force of law.
—
Bob Morgan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
The production runs for 2026 and 2027 are sold out, but future flyers can jump in the queue for the 2028 build now by slapping down a deposit of US$8,000.
—
New Atlas,
14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slap down
NBC news,
15 Mar. 2026
The White House argued that a national security law dating back to the 1970s—the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—gives the President the authority to declare an emergency and slap down tariffs on his own.
—
Philip Wang,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
Time and time again, courts have slapped down these strong-arm tactics that lack the force of law.
—
Bob Morgan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
The production runs for 2026 and 2027 are sold out, but future flyers can jump in the queue for the 2028 build now by slapping down a deposit of US$8,000.
—
New Atlas,
14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slap down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slap down
Verb
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The security adjustments aren’t expected to quell Mexico’s World Cup fever.
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The people ended up burning down the house of one of the tax collectors, prompting President George Washington to raise the first federal army against them and quickly quell the revolt.
Verb
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Record-setting heat is suspected in 25 deaths from the Deep South to the Midwest to the East Coast, authorities said, with the temperature highs also suppressing some Fourth of July celebrations.
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When coated onto a polypropylene separator with graphene, the material formed a thin interfacial layer that readily absorbed electrolyte while suppressing polysulfide migration.
Verb
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Upon their return, most ended up in countries that were invaded and subdued by the German army.
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Over a decade, more than 1,000 people have died across the country after police subdued them through means not intended to be lethal, such as physical holds, Tasers and body blows, an investigation led by The Associated Press found.
Verb
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But Field, whose perpetual restlessness had driven his climb to business success, wasn’t suited to sit on the sidelines.
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Another capability comes from processing unstructured information, since companies already sit on enormous amounts of customer feedback, reviews, research, operational data and industry commentary, but historically, going through all of it manually took far too much time.
Verb
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Years of crippling sanctions have paralysed the economy as accelerating bouts of mass nationwide protests have been put down by security forces with increasing force — culminating in the killing of thousands of demonstrators in January.
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As word of the violence at the Record spread, Black workers around the city put down their tools and ran home, many of them to the Brooklyn neighborhood.
Cite this Entry
“Slap down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slap%20down. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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