1
as in thud
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
he gave the ball a hard thwack with the bat and sent it deep into the outfield
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in clap
a loud explosive sound
even from the top of the bleachers we could hear the loud thwack of the ball being hit
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
thwacked the growling dog on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thwack
Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 9 Aug. 2025
His fast, athletic swing, grimacing expressions, large hands, and the audible thwack of ball-on-club distinguished him.
—Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 31 July 2025
Fans all over the world can track every shot of every player — including balls thwacked on the driving range.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thwack
Noun
The boom and thwack of basketball and football rather than electric guitars and the basic chord progressions of the average Green Day song.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 9 Aug. 2025
His fast, athletic swing, grimacing expressions, large hands, and the audible thwack of ball-on-club distinguished him.
—Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
Verb
Look down and there’s another scene: America’s power players – rich guys humbled by the task of thwacking a 1.62-ounce sphere from one spot to another.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 31 July 2025
Fans all over the world can track every shot of every player — including balls thwacked on the driving range.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thwack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thwack
Noun
-
The shot lands with a thud on the field, in sync with turning heads.—
Zoe Bahjat,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
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For the past 20 days, Weinberg, a farmer and doula, has been living between the thud of Hezbollah missiles and the crack of Israeli artillery.—
Lior Soroka,
Washington Post,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Tears flowed, and the audience held space for grief, offering supportive claps and chants.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
18 Mar. 2026
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That front will bring a chance of drizzle to the coast, a few claps of thunder to the Sacramento Valley and snow flurries to the Tahoe area.—
Anthony Edwards,
San Francisco Chronicle,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Airlines across the region, like Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific are slapping hefty fuel surcharges on flights; Vietnam and the Philippines are even weighing whether to ground planes.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
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This month, the influential environmental group Conservation Colorado filed ballot measures with the state elections office that would slap stricter penalties on the energy industry for the pollution and contamination that result from its operations.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Moments later, a bass thump sounded in the distance.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
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The experimental jet, part of NASA’s Quesst mission, is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound while producing only a soft sonic thump instead of a disruptive boom.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Swift leaned into the soft romance of her outfit with an undone half-up hairstyle with her signature bangs brushed to the side for a dreamy effect.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
27 Mar. 2026
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Cyrus has kept the spirits high by embodying her beloved character in a series of colorful, sequin, and rhinestone-studded looks on red carpets, even returning to that signature Hannah Montana blonde and set of bangs.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On Wednesday, the Braves had been in an 0-for-14 slump with runners in scoring position until Baldwin smacked a two-out single to left with the bases loaded in the second.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Other incidents over the years have seen fans grab at Nikki Bella or actually smacking Alex Bliss on the backside as Nia Jax was carrying her over her shoulder from a previous segment.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In a blow to the fledgling environmental movement, however, a report by Nixon’s science adviser, Lee DuBridge, called for more drilling, not less.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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The blow came after the right-hander threw a four-seam fastball that nearly hit Trout’s face.—
Anthony Solorzano,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Sciutto reported hearing booms from missile-defense interceptions.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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The flexible boom is compatible with compliant fuel pipelines, enabling safer docking for future on‑orbit refueling operations.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thwack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thwack. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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