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
Relevance
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
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.
Recent Examples of thwack
Ava Wallace, Washington Post, 6 July 2024
The movie’s silence is so loaded with the anxiety, obstinance, inchoate anger and desire for anonymity of the traumatized teenage sportswoman that the constant thwack of her racquet hitting the ball cuts through the tension like violent shocks.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 May 2024
Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 8 Dec. 2023
The videos had been spliced into a mash-up and served to me on Instagram as a looping carousel of orange squares thwacking babies silly.
—Amanda Hess, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for thwack
Noun
Things fall almost eerily silent as players prepare to serve, and even then, the usual thwack of a tennis ball hitting the court is muffled by the grass.
—Ava Wallace, Washington Post, 6 July 2024
The movie’s silence is so loaded with the anxiety, obstinance, inchoate anger and desire for anonymity of the traumatized teenage sportswoman that the constant thwack of her racquet hitting the ball cuts through the tension like violent shocks.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 May 2024
Verb
No more thwacking away at cold dough on your countertop.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 8 Dec. 2023
The videos had been spliced into a mash-up and served to me on Instagram as a looping carousel of orange squares thwacking babies silly.
—Amanda Hess, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for thwack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thwack
Noun
-
The bit ended with a thud, but the thud didn’t end the bit.—
Tony Maglio,
IndieWire,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Wall Street concluded an already softer week with a thud Friday after the December jobs report came in much hotter than expected.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
12 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Jenner, dressed in a sparkling black floor-length gown, claps along with the rest of the theater and touches the Dune star’s cheek.—
Sharareh Drury,
People.com,
14 Feb. 2025
-
The nature of Favre's slow clap drew backlash from some with pro-LGBTQ beliefs on social media.—
Jackson Thompson,
Fox News,
12 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Hackman slapped the man, according to an account in the Associated Press. 'Reach for the stars!' Hackman also had a prankster side.—
Rick Jervis,
USA TODAY,
3 Mar. 2025
-
That show, however, was overshadowed by Will Smith slapping Chris Rock in the face onstage over a joke Rock made about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.—
Lucia Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Still, despite how hip all the kids were, when the music picked up, the crowd had trouble syncing their bouncing to the thump of the beats—understandable because the StepTeam production style is based around sporadic bursts of rattling percussion with the wobbly rhythms of a mountain bike race.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
28 Feb. 2025
-
For those who want a deeper and more resonant sound, there’s a bass boost button to add more thump to the beat.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
To get the most bang for your buck and to get the best selection of homes, Vrbo recommends booking your vacation home at least two months before travel dates.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Brown wore her blonde locks in a messy updo and added in some chunky bangs a la Anderson in the '90s.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Yates took his anger out on a chair, smacking the bench, the redshirt freshman guard dropping 18 points and three threes to little avail.—
Luca Evans,
Orange County Register,
15 Feb. 2025
-
For the last three weeks, Democrats up and down the seniority list have been stuck playing an especially frustrating game of Whac-a-Mole: smack the outrage of the hour and then race to hit the next one, never quite leveling the field.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Spanish soccer giant Real Madrid announced a huge KO injury blow which Cope - citing anonymous sources - expects to sideline the first team starting player in question for around two months.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Of course, Seidler likely didn’t envision the franchise would lose its local TV partner, dealing a financial blow.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
There was a pandemic homeschooling boom; perhaps some families incorrectly got the idea that in-person schooling is just plain optional.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2025
-
Broadcom has benefited from the AI boom that has swept Wall Street since the launch of ChatGPT, with shares more than doubling in 2024.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thwack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thwack. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share