thwack
1 of 2verb
ˈthwak 
thwacked; thwacking; thwacks
transitive verb
: to strike with or as if with something flat or heavy : whack
thwack
2 of 2noun
: a heavy blow : whack
also : the sound of or as if of such a blow
Synonyms
Verb
- 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
- swat
- swipe
- tag
- thump
- wallop
- whack
- whale
- zap
Noun
- 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
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb A book fell off the shelf and thwacked me on the head. thwacked the growling dog on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper Noun he gave the ball a hard thwack with the bat and sent it deep into the outfield even from the top of the bleachers we could hear the loud thwack of the ball being hit
Recent Examples on the Web
Erik Kain, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2021 They have been thwacked with tariffs on steel, aluminium and components from China, and threatened with broader levies on cars and car parts in the name of national security. The Economist, 14 Nov. 2019 On Sunday, Drew Brees thwacked his thumb off Aaron Donald’s helmet and now needs surgery. Conor Orr, SI.com, 16 Sep. 2019 The other night, a helicopter hovered over my old Craftsman, thwack-thwack-thwacking me into a new dawn. Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2019 But for her own productions, Ms. Borges mixes these childhood influences with polyrhythms, frantic beats, air horns and elements of genres like trance, European techno, Afro-house and American R&B. Her drums thwack like a bucking bronco. Kate Hutchinson, New York Times, 14 June 2018 Belgium had been thwacked by Italy and Turkey in the group stage of that 2000 tournament in a resounding message about the country’s prowess. Andrew Beaton, WSJ, 9 July 2018 But Bourdain chose his targets carefully, often made amends, and rarely thwacked his rhetorical skillet upon the less powerful. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 June 2018 Washed away in a torrent, on Rocky goes, thwacking and plonking his way to Texas and then to South Dakota. Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 20 Apr. 2018 Laura Randall, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 July 2022 The soft thwack of a golf ball outside your bedroom. Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2022 The lone call of the magic horn that sounds at its outset trails off into a misty landscape, a trickling brook, a waking dawn and the blunt-force thwack of a cold-water tutti. Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2022 Wilkes shouted over the thwack of the boat against the water. Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2022 It may have been derived from thwack and merged with wacky at some point to form the slang version of whack, which indicates something crazy or messed up, like that game was whack, man. Erik Kain, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2022 The thwack of fists hitting hand pads echoed through the studio as pairs of women circled each other, striking blows and blocking them, with a singular focus. New York Times, 28 Nov. 2021 Ironically, China may have harbored a boomerang that will come back for a thwack. Robert Hackett, Fortune, 21 June 2021 Damien Tarel was also banned from ever holding public office in France and from owning weapons for five years over the swipe Tuesday, which caught Macron’s left cheek with an audible thwack as the French leader was greeting a crowd. Nicolas Vaux-montagny, chicagotribune.com, 10 June 2021 See More
Verb
Line up, charge aimlessly, and then thwack at one another. Erik Kain, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2021 They have been thwacked with tariffs on steel, aluminium and components from China, and threatened with broader levies on cars and car parts in the name of national security. The Economist, 14 Nov. 2019 On Sunday, Drew Brees thwacked his thumb off Aaron Donald’s helmet and now needs surgery. Conor Orr, SI.com, 16 Sep. 2019 The other night, a helicopter hovered over my old Craftsman, thwack-thwack-thwacking me into a new dawn. Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2019 But for her own productions, Ms. Borges mixes these childhood influences with polyrhythms, frantic beats, air horns and elements of genres like trance, European techno, Afro-house and American R&B. Her drums thwack like a bucking bronco. Kate Hutchinson, New York Times, 14 June 2018 Belgium had been thwacked by Italy and Turkey in the group stage of that 2000 tournament in a resounding message about the country’s prowess. Andrew Beaton, WSJ, 9 July 2018 But Bourdain chose his targets carefully, often made amends, and rarely thwacked his rhetorical skillet upon the less powerful. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 June 2018 Washed away in a torrent, on Rocky goes, thwacking and plonking his way to Texas and then to South Dakota. Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 20 Apr. 2018 Noun
For the next three hours, the thwack of whiffle balls on paddles – in a game described as a cross between pingpong and tennis – punctuates the laughter on each of eight courts taped off to 44-by-20-foot pickleball court dimensions. Laura Randall, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 July 2022 The soft thwack of a golf ball outside your bedroom. Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2022 The lone call of the magic horn that sounds at its outset trails off into a misty landscape, a trickling brook, a waking dawn and the blunt-force thwack of a cold-water tutti. Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2022 Wilkes shouted over the thwack of the boat against the water. Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2022 It may have been derived from thwack and merged with wacky at some point to form the slang version of whack, which indicates something crazy or messed up, like that game was whack, man. Erik Kain, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2022 The thwack of fists hitting hand pads echoed through the studio as pairs of women circled each other, striking blows and blocking them, with a singular focus. New York Times, 28 Nov. 2021 Ironically, China may have harbored a boomerang that will come back for a thwack. Robert Hackett, Fortune, 21 June 2021 Damien Tarel was also banned from ever holding public office in France and from owning weapons for five years over the swipe Tuesday, which caught Macron’s left cheek with an audible thwack as the French leader was greeting a crowd. Nicolas Vaux-montagny, chicagotribune.com, 10 June 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
imitative
First Known Use
Verb
circa 1530, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1587, in the meaning defined above
thwack 1 of 2
noun
1
as in thud
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument he gave the ball a hard thwack with the bat and sent it deep into the outfield Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- thud
- thump
- slap
- blow
- punch
- hit
- whack
- knock
- smack
- swipe
- spank
- stroke
- bang
- poke
- lick
- pound
- clap
- beat
- slam
- swat
- lash
- kick
- hook
- chop
- clip
- bat
- pelt
- smash
- biff
- haymaker
- welt
- crack
- sock
- whap
- wham
- bop
- switch
- wallop
- whop
- belt
- fillip
- cuff
- slug
- plump
- stinger
- bash
- dab
- pounding
- stripe
- knee
- hack
- box
- rap
- pick
- douse
- swing
- clout
- licking
- buffet
- beating
- bust
- hand
- uppercut
- left
- counterpunch
- hammering
- larrup
- shiver
- whip
- right
- bludgeoning
- counter
- pummeling
- roundhouse
- thrashing
- whipping
- counterstroke
- body blow
- cruncher
- counterblow
- battering
- knockdown
- drubbing
- sucker punch
- walloping
- flogging
- pummelling
- clobbering
- rabbit punch
- bastinado
- sidewinder
- knockout
- one-two
- cudgeling
- kayo
- cudgelling
- lambasting
- right-hander
- pasting
- bastinade
- KO
2
as in clap
a loud explosive sound even from the top of the bleachers we could hear the loud thwack of the ball being hit Synonyms & Similar Words
- clap
- bang
- whump
- boom
- thunderclap
- pop
- whomp
- whack
- blast
- roar
- slam
- knock
- crack
- smash
- crash
- thunk
- tap
- report
- clang
- snap
- wham
- clank
- howl
- clash
- clangor
- blare
- outcry
- rap
- clamor
- hue and cry
- tumult
- hubbub
- uproar
- hullabaloo
thwack
2 of 2verb
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner thwacked the growling dog on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper Synonyms & Similar Words
- slap
- smack
- punch
- hit
- knock
- bang
- clap
- whack
- slam
- strike
- thump
- bat
- pound
- swipe
- clip
- crack
- kick
- hammer
- bludgeon
- swat
- nail
- biff
- bash
- zap
- bonk
- box
- smite
- lick
- wallop
- bob
- tap
- bop
- jab
- poke
- sock
- slug
- flick
- chop
- stab
- shove
- clock
- tag
- rap
- clobber
- push
- belt
- whale
- clout
- slog
- bump
- paste
- stroke
- bust
- maul
- pelt
- beat
- rough
- pummel
- pepper
- hang one on
- batter
- lash
- butt
- cuff
- scuff
- bung
- knee
- slash
- whip
- mangle
- drub
- pommel
- sledgehammer
- stamp
- cudgel
- spear
- lace
- bunt
- buffet
- dump
- flail
- fell
- jostle
- deck
- cane
- cream
- prod
- floor
- sledge
- conk
- lambaste
- club
- skull
- lambast
- sap
- bean
- knock down
- thrash
- level
- flog
- switch
- brain
- sucker punch
- rabbit-punch
- bowl (down or over)