as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
zapped the annoying bug with a swatter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of zap
Timothy started to cry, and Plato zapped him again.
—
Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Because once they’re zapped, they’re gone.
—Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Known only as The Man from the Future, Rockwell's character zaps back from the future and lands in a Norms diner, looking to assemble a dream team to stop the AI apocalypse.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Lasers that focus on zapping drones out of the sky.
—Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zap
Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Because once they’re zapped, they’re gone.
—Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Known only as The Man from the Future, Rockwell's character zaps back from the future and lands in a Norms diner, looking to assemble a dream team to stop the AI apocalypse.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Lasers that focus on zapping drones out of the sky.
—Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zap
Verb
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Five pitchers combined for nine strikeouts and allowed just hits for Andrew (4-3).—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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Among them was Linda Parker, the president and CEO of Women In Distress of Broward County, who said Metayer’s death hit close to home.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Remember, as little as 6 inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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About 2 minutes and 40 seconds into the fight, Grasso drilled Barber in the head with a left hook, knocking her out.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
31 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
Verb
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The edge held until the seventh, when Worchester slapped four runs on the board in their final turn at-bat to snatch a sudden triumph.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
6 Apr. 2026
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Delhi skipper Axar Patel got the breakthrough when Sharma slapped him to cover and Nitish Rana took a tough chance above his head in the 10th over.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Rockets are a team that lost its starting point guard (Fred VanVleet) at the start of the year while the Knicks brought back and built upon the exact same core that punched the franchise’s first ticket to the conference finals in the last quarter-century.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
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Manning allegedly punched and kicked Hartman in the face and torso, scratched her, choked her and grabbed her by the hair and slammed her against the floor and wall.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Catcher Patrick Bailey went for the pick instead of a block, and Winn’s splitter banged off the backstop.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
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Diehard fans banged bass drums, songs emanated from the supporters’ wall and a packed stadium of 7,211 buzzed all the way through stoppage time of a tense game.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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People clap and cheer at a watch party for the Artemis II rocket launch on Wednesday, April 1, in Elkins Park.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Each shows a helicopter hovering alongside his swimming pool while the entertainer claps, salutes and raises his fist in the air.—
Travis Loller,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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President Joe Biden had that whack job named Sam Brinton as the deputy assistant director of the Department of Energy.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
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Airline stocks are getting whacked this morning thanks to the oil price surge.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zap. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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