as in to quell
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
public protests against the dictatorial government were always promptly slapped down
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slap down
The politics of the remote voting proposal shifted dramatically Thursday when Trump effectively sided with Luna and slapped down Johnson.
—
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2025
Both were affected by Murray showing physical resistance and slapping down at the ball as Brown went into his shot.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2025
Rose has mortgaged her house and slapped down $25,000 Euros to be treated at a clinic run by Dr. Gomez (Vincent Perez), whose methods lean more into analysis than medicine.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025
That number was tallied after a federal judge in Massachusetts slapped down a lawsuit brought by unions challenging the program.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slap down
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2025
Both were affected by Murray showing physical resistance and slapping down at the ball as Brown went into his shot.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2025
Rose has mortgaged her house and slapped down $25,000 Euros to be treated at a clinic run by Dr. Gomez (Vincent Perez), whose methods lean more into analysis than medicine.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025
That number was tallied after a federal judge in Massachusetts slapped down a lawsuit brought by unions challenging the program.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slap down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slap down
Verb
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But the comeback attempts staged by the visitors were repeatedly quelled by one of their greatest strengths.—
Bobby Krivitsky,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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In that case, Israeli soldiers fired live rounds into the air to disperse crowds, with the GHF seeking to quell concerns over its rocky first week of operations in a news release Wednesday.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
29 May 2025
Verb
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Eight engines, three water tenders, two dozers and one hand crew are working to suppress the fire.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
26 May 2025
-
And in 1955, the McGee Fire burned through much of Converse Basin, consuming second-growth sequoias and demonstrating the dangers of suppressing all fires.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Officers used a taser on the man to try to subdue him, according to Cleverdon.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
19 May 2025
-
One of the investigators fired non-lethal beanbag rounds at the man to try to subdue him, but Hampson fled.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Hartig snatched up the reins, putting down the rifle.—
Louise Erdrich,
New Yorker,
25 May 2025
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Chilling at the beach The sand around the Lake Worth Beach Pier (more formally, the William O. Lockhart Municipal Pier) has always been a popular place to fish, surf or put down a blanket to chill by the water, with plenty of local dining and shopping options.—
Ben Crandell,
Sun Sentinel,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slap down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slap%20down. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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