1
—used to express a sound made by or as if by a gun
2
—used to indicate a sudden or instantaneous occurrence
zapped; zapping; zaps
1
a
: to get rid of, destroy, or kill especially with or as if with sudden force
b
: to hit with or as if with a sudden concentrated application of force or energy
c
: to irradiate especially with microwaves
2
a
: to propel suddenly or speedily
b
: to transport instantaneously
3
: to avoid watching (something, such as a television commercial) by changing channels especially with a remote control or by fast-forwarding
1
: to move with speed or force
2
: to change television channels using a remote control
Synonyms
Examples of zap in a Sentence
Verb
The flowers were zapped by the cold weather.
The aliens in the movie zapped people from spaceships.
She reheated her muffin by zapping it in the microwave for a few seconds.
I zapped through the channels for a while before falling asleep.
We tape the show so we can zap through the commercials.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 9 Aug. 2023
Sacramento Bee, 22 June 2024
There are brief moments of peril when characters outfly villainous birds, get zapped by electrical lines and fall from the sky.
—Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 21 June 2024
Vulture Staff, Vulture, 5 Apr. 2024
But after one such zap of electricity, Jandial’s patient experienced a nightmare that had recurred for him since childhood.
—Andrea Muraskin, NPR, 2 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for zap 
Interjection
Yeah, truly, like passing a ball around and zip zap zopping.
—Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 9 Aug. 2023
Verb
Nearly 4,000 homes and businesses are back on the grid after losing electricity Saturday when a breaker tripped, triggering a power outage that zapped parts of Sacramento’s core — including midtown, East Sacramento, Curtis Park and Oak Park.
—Sacramento Bee, 22 June 2024
There are brief moments of peril when characters outfly villainous birds, get zapped by electrical lines and fall from the sky.
—Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 21 June 2024
Noun
Because this is at its heart a sci-fi B-movie, the eclipse causes a green zap of alien sentient plant-life to arrive on earth, nestled among the zinnias.
—Vulture Staff, Vulture, 5 Apr. 2024
But after one such zap of electricity, Jandial’s patient experienced a nightmare that had recurred for him since childhood.
—Andrea Muraskin, NPR, 2 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for zap
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Zap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zap. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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