Dictionary

slapdown en · NOUN

Etymology

From slap + down.

Meanings

1. An instance of slapping down, especially a humiliation or rejection.
   • The truth panic had the unwelcome side-effect of emboldening those it sought to oppose. “Fake” was one of Trump’s favourite slap-downs, especially to news outlets that reported unwelcome facts about him and his associates. A booming Maga media further amplified the president’s lies and denials. 2025 October 2, William Davies, “A critique of pure stupidity: understanding Trump 2.0”, in The Guardian:
   • Jens Spahn, a senior legislator for the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), said rarely had a government been given such a comprehensive slapdown. 2023 October 8, “German state elections: voters turn to the right in rebuke to Scholz’s coalition”, in The Guardian, sourced from Reuters, →ISSN:
2. The period after the initial impact of an object with a surface through the subsequent impact of the object on that surface, as an aircraft landing or a container falling.
3. The impact of a layer of earth falling after having been lifted by an explosion or an earthquake or similar large-scale disturbance.

Forms