zapping

verb

present participle of zap
as in hitting
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner zapped the annoying bug with a swatter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of zapping The clicking was from our electric fence, which was always zapping some errant grass, a misbehaving sheep, or a horny bull. — Chris Lee, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2026 No one seems happy to still be zapping themselves with electrodes. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 These 15 recipes are a major step up from zapping a bag of frozen broccoli. — Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 June 2026 Scientists have been zapping brains to alleviate depression for decades through a method called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026 Lasers that focus on zapping drones out of the sky. — Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026 Porzingis was limited to 42 games a year ago for the Boston Celtics in part because of an energy-zapping illness. — Sam Gordon, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Feb. 2026 Salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) lauded for its exfoliating and anti-inflammatory properties, has long been the MVP of breakout control, but today’s best salicylic acid serums go well beyond zapping zits. — Sarah Han, Allure, 27 Jan. 2026 Even with Slack zapping the number of emails sent, most people still waste so much time sifting through their inboxes. — semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zapping
  1. hitting
  2. slapping
  3. smacking
  4. knocking
  5. punching
  6. slamming
  7. banging
  8. whacking
Verb
  • The 27-year-old Adell has 16 homers and 62 RBIs this season, one year after hitting a career-best 37 homers with 98 RBIs.
    — David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Across Europe, other historic objects have also been revealed this summer due to the record-breaking heat and crippling droughts hitting the continent’s waterways.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of hitting
Verb
  • Yan bounded off the mound, slapping his hand against his glove several times, after the inning ended.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Once again, Yan did the whole jumping, landing, ground-slapping thing (no slide this time though).
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of slapping
Verb
  • Jumping into the air, doing the splits, screaming at the top of his lungs, smacking the ground.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Catcher Daniel Susac followed up Wednesday’s two-home-run game by smacking a two-run shot, and the Giants bullpen didn’t break down while protecting a 4-1 victory.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of smacking
Verb
  • Elarms-Orr didn’t think Kincaid was down and laid a sizable hit on the tight end, knocking him to the ground again.
    — Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Wahab said she’s been hard at work on the campaign trail hosting town hall discussions, knocking door-to-door and meeting constituents in the district.
    — Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of knocking
Verb
  • Background on the case On May 30, Shelby Police Officer Karson Hyder was captured repeatedly punching 34-year-old Cherie Moore during an arrest.
    — Zaire Breedlove, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
  • Salgado is accused of approaching the man, taunting him to start a fight and punching him in the face, police said.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
Definition of punching
Verb
  • But according to rocket scientists at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), slamming a nuclear warhead directly into the side of a space rock is a rookie mistake.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Charlotte faced off with Lash Legend, and Lash got the better of Charlotte by slamming her on a ladder.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of slamming
Verb
  • The songs on Petal are mostly moody midtempo electro-chill, brooding rather than banging.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026
  • What was the inspiration for banging the pots and pans around the house?
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 31 July 2026
Definition of banging
Verb
  • Larry Hayes, 86, and Bill Moniz, 79, hit the tennis courts in Mountain View three to four times a week — whacking balls across the net as teammates for one to three hours a week.
    — Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
  • And the crowd clearly expected that pucks whacking the nets would be at a premium in this series, too.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 May 2026
Definition of whacking

Browse Nearby Words

zapped
zapping
zaps
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Zapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zapping. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on zapping

Nglish: Translation of zapping for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All