1
as in bang
a loud explosive sound
a clap of thunder that woke the whole house up
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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
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of clap
Rebecca Boyle, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024
But like giant thunder claps, the Rams clap backed.
—Jay Paris, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
The children sing, clap, dance and play games with one another as their mother, Hanan, feeds their 1-month-old baby brother with a bottle.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clap 
Noun
At the time the galaxy shone forth, sound waves from the tremendous clap that started the universe were still ringing through the void.
—Rebecca Boyle, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024
But like giant thunder claps, the Rams clap backed.
—Jay Paris, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Verb
The Japanese woman sitting next to me clapped in surprise when Go brought out the ingredients for a rice porridge course made with sekogani — small female snow crabs full of roe.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
The children sing, clap, dance and play games with one another as their mother, Hanan, feeds their 1-month-old baby brother with a bottle.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clap
Noun
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Winters — who was so terrifying in Heroes of the Fourth Turning and who revealed a messy vulnerability behind Kerry Castellabate’s hard bangs and structured suits on Succession — is a pro at tough, slick surfaces with tangles of insecurity underneath.Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
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For those with a larger budget, this configuration gives you a lot of bang for your buck, able to play the latest games at their highest settings.Jade Chung-Lee, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
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With a new house-music thump behind them, Fuerza Regida found a new after-hours realm.August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024
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North American hikers might want to run toward weird thumps on the trail.Melvin Backman, Quartz, 26 Sep. 2024
Verb
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Universal Genève wasn’t just some funky, old-school Swiss brand with a cool logo to slap onto a modern watch for the nostalgic set.Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 20 Nov. 2024
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Voice 1: Everybody was trying to get people’s attention, like, hey, here comes the wave, and then the first one kind of slapped against the door.Outside Online, Outside Online, 13 Nov. 2024
Noun
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This could mean that the big boom Nvidia saw over the last three years was front-loaded.Trefis Team, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
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Samsung Electronics was once the leading force in the memory chip sector, and appeared well-positioned to take advantage of the boom in artificial intelligence.Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
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And in what many consider the final blow to her mayoral career, Thao’s home was raided by FBI agents in July.Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
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That will come as a bitter blow to the workers affected.The Week UK, theweek, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Nobody will mind if they get smacked in the head by a selfie stick, or buzzed by a drone.Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 9 Nov. 2024
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With the score sitting at 14-10, Crabb smacked the ball at Banesh who parried it, his touch giving Partain the option to pass it back to his teammate.Aaron Heisen, Orange County Register, 9 Nov. 2024
Noun
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No one was injured or killed in either blast, the FBI said.Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY, 27 Nov. 2024
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The Tank Explosion The blast occurred when a tank containing byproducts from oil drilling operations exploded and caught fire.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Arriving police heard a thud and found Payne’s body in the hotel courtyard, Policicchio said.Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024
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News that the Mexican government had forced down the Gulfstream and confiscated its 4 tons of cocaine landed with a thud at ICE.Penn Bullock, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Clap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clap. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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