1
as in bang
a loud explosive sound
a clap of thunder that woke the whole house up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in thump
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
a sharp clap to the head of the disrespectful youth
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
clapped him on the back as a friendly gesture
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clap
Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024
About an hour before sunset, the birds begin to gather in the sky, and the crowd gasps and claps as the formation swirls around.
—Deena Prichep, NPR, 14 Sep. 2024
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
The fans started clapping, and Rock began singing again.
—Rachel Desantis, People.com, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clap
Noun
Break out three giant claps, a dazzling smile and a deafening scream.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024
About an hour before sunset, the birds begin to gather in the sky, and the crowd gasps and claps as the formation swirls around.
—Deena Prichep, NPR, 14 Sep. 2024
Verb
The 78-year-old also posted side-by-side Super Bowl videos—one of himself with Ivanka Trump clapping alongside cheers inside the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans; the other was of Swift being booed by the same crowd.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
The fans started clapping, and Rock began singing again.
—Rachel Desantis, People.com, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clap
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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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
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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
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
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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
-
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
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One result of those changes was a boom in loan forgiveness.—
Jonaki Mehta,
NPR,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Verb
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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
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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
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Christina Ricci is still having a blast playing Misty, and her diabolical energy is infectious.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2025
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Jon Bernthal's Punisher will headline Werewolf by Night-style Marvel special: 'Like a shotgun blast of a story' (exclusive) Benjamin Poindexter (Wilson Bethel), a.k.a.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The bit ended with a thud, but the thud didn’t end the bit.—
Tony Maglio,
IndieWire,
10 Feb. 2025
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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
Articles Related to clap
Cite this Entry
“Clap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clap. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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