swatted; swatting
: to hit with a sharp slapping blow usually with an instrument (such as a bat or flyswatter)
swatted the ball for a home run
1
: a powerful or crushing blow
2
: a long hit in baseball
especially
: home run
swatted; swatting; swats
: to make a false report of an ongoing serious crime in order to elicit a response from law enforcement (such as the dispatch of a SWAT unit)
Special FBI Agent John Bennett of San Francisco said in a statement to CBS, that those who swat want to see "a tactical response" – specifically, they "want to see armed officers, they want to see a bomb, dogs, helicopters – that's all part of the fun."—
Bryn Lovitt
Bryn LovittThe congresswoman had just been "swatted," or subjected to a malicious act in which a person hides their identity, then calls the cops and reports a violent crime at the address of whomever they're targeting.—Ryan Grenoble
Ryan Grenoble
swatting
noun
Prosecutors say that in addition to initiating the swatting episode in Kansas … Mr. Barriss made dozens of other, similar calls to emergency and law enforcement agencies across the country during which he falsely reported bomb threats, active shootings and other criminal activity at high schools, shopping malls and even the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
—Matt Stevens and Andrew R. Chow
Matt Stevens and Andrew R. Chow
often attributive
: a police or military unit specially trained and equipped to handle unusually hazardous situations or missions
Synonyms
Verb (1)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- belt
- biff
- bludgeon
- bob
- bonk
- bop
- box
- bust
- clap
- clip
- clobber
- clock
- clout
- crack
- hammer
- hit
- knock
- nail
- paste
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slog
- slug
- smack
- smite
- sock
- strike
- swipe
- tag
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- whack
- whale
- zap
Noun (1)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- douse [British]
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Examples of swat in a Sentence
Verb (1)
She swatted the fly with a magazine.
The cat was swatting the injured mouse with its paw.
He swatted the tennis ball out of bounds.
Noun (1)
the impatient toddler got a swat on his wrist for stepping into the street by himself
Recent Examples on the WebJournal Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2024
Almost a century later, people still swat those yellow balls over and into the nets at the Plaza Tennis Center.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
Cats might also swat stuff as a way of getting our attention.
—Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024
As Ponderosa learned when the 6-foot-10 senior swatted five shots in a 57-41 Great 8 loss to the Bison, either come to the key with a plan or Polk will send your shot into the fifth row.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2024
Ranging as far as two miles from their operators, the tiny drones plink Russian vehicles and even chase down, and blow up, individual Russian soldiers who swat at them with rifles and sticks.
—David Axe, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
The Chiefs’ All-Pro CB had no safety help but still was able to swat aside Purdy’s strike toward Samuel in the end zone.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Feb. 2024
Haley has been the victim of two swatting attempts in recent months.
—USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2024
Most came from guards sagging down on Edey and swatting it away.
—Eddie Pells, The Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2024
Journal Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2024
The Kurdish fighters guard the camp’s perimeter in swat vehicles, and a primarily Kurdish civilian administration manages the camp bureaucracy, coördinating with aid organizations to distribute rations and deliver such basic services as sewage treatment and water.
—Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
Kalkbrenner led the Bluejays with 18 points, nine rebounds and four blocks — none bigger than his swat of Daniss Jenkins' shot in the final minute that led to Alexander's winning free throws.
—Eric Olson, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2024
After Leo Carlsson drew a penalty, Carrick scored on a mid-air swat of a rebound from a shot by Zellweger in the second period.
—Greg Beacham, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2024
Last May, an officer in Danvers, Massachusetts, accidentally fired his service weapon while responding to a school swat.
—Dhruv Mehrotra, WIRED, 26 Jan. 2024
Prior to these high-profile swats, a relentless campaign from different, potentially foreign, swatting groups targeted hundreds of schools and universities around the US over the past year and a half.
—Dhruv Mehrotra, WIRED, 26 Jan. 2024
The last few years of the Real Housewives franchise have seen a whole other level of drama, where FBI swat teams showing up to arrest cast members suddenly became part of the canon.
—Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 24 Dec. 2023
Reagan and Kennedy didn’t engage with one another so much as swat away barbs from their hostile inquisitors.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2023
Verb
Police have not said whether multiple threats against Milwaukee French Immersion School last week were swatting threats.
—Journal Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2024
Almost a century later, people still swat those yellow balls over and into the nets at the Plaza Tennis Center.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
Cats might also swat stuff as a way of getting our attention.
—Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024
As Ponderosa learned when the 6-foot-10 senior swatted five shots in a 57-41 Great 8 loss to the Bison, either come to the key with a plan or Polk will send your shot into the fifth row.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2024
Ranging as far as two miles from their operators, the tiny drones plink Russian vehicles and even chase down, and blow up, individual Russian soldiers who swat at them with rifles and sticks.
—David Axe, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
The Chiefs’ All-Pro CB had no safety help but still was able to swat aside Purdy’s strike toward Samuel in the end zone.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Feb. 2024
Haley has been the victim of two swatting attempts in recent months.
—USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2024
Most came from guards sagging down on Edey and swatting it away.
—Eddie Pells, The Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2024
Noun
That prompted the mom in front of me to quickly cover her ears — and her (possibly embarrassed) daughter to swat away at her hands.
—Journal Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2024
The Kurdish fighters guard the camp’s perimeter in swat vehicles, and a primarily Kurdish civilian administration manages the camp bureaucracy, coördinating with aid organizations to distribute rations and deliver such basic services as sewage treatment and water.
—Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
Kalkbrenner led the Bluejays with 18 points, nine rebounds and four blocks — none bigger than his swat of Daniss Jenkins' shot in the final minute that led to Alexander's winning free throws.
—Eric Olson, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2024
After Leo Carlsson drew a penalty, Carrick scored on a mid-air swat of a rebound from a shot by Zellweger in the second period.
—Greg Beacham, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2024
Last May, an officer in Danvers, Massachusetts, accidentally fired his service weapon while responding to a school swat.
—Dhruv Mehrotra, WIRED, 26 Jan. 2024
Prior to these high-profile swats, a relentless campaign from different, potentially foreign, swatting groups targeted hundreds of schools and universities around the US over the past year and a half.
—Dhruv Mehrotra, WIRED, 26 Jan. 2024
The last few years of the Real Housewives franchise have seen a whole other level of drama, where FBI swat teams showing up to arrest cast members suddenly became part of the canon.
—Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 24 Dec. 2023
Reagan and Kennedy didn’t engage with one another so much as swat away barbs from their hostile inquisitors.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near swat
Cite this Entry
“Swat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swat. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationGeographical Definition
Swat
geographical name
river 400 miles (644 kilometers) long in Pakistan flowing into the Kabul River
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