smackdown

noun

smack·​down ˈsmak-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce smackdown (audio)
1
: the act of knocking down or bringing down an opponent
2
: a contest in entertainment wrestling
3
: a decisive defeat
4
: a confrontation between rivals or competitors

Examples of smackdown in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Delivered the day before the Senate voted to acquit him in his first impeachment case, and as COVID began to spread in the United States, Trump's 2020 address was part reality TV, part gameshow and part WWE smackdown. Tamara Keith, NPR, 2 Mar. 2025 From public roads in New York to a twisty racing circuit in Fontana, Calif., the McLaren made a convincing case for inclusion in any supercar smackdown: Its body stayed almost eerily flat at speeds that would have had a Porsche 911 leaning over and its tires howling. IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2012 There’s no better mission for the former CEO of WWE than a bureaucratic smackdown. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 8 Feb. 2025 The upcoming weekend, which sits snugly between Christmas and New Year's, will host a tri-part arthouse smackdown. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 23 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for smackdown

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of smackdown was in 1931

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smackdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smackdown. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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!