verb

swat

swot

verb

To hit something sharply and quickly, especially an insect.

"She swatted the fly off the table."

"He swatted at the mosquito buzzing near his ear."

To make a false emergency call designed to trick armed police into raiding someone's home.

"The streamer was swatted live on camera after a viewer called in a fake hostage report."

How to Use Swat

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo slap or strike quickly (usually at a bug), or, as slang, to send armed police to someone's address with a fake emergency report.

Easily confused with

swatting →

Common pairings

swat a fly swat away get swatted

swatted past tense, swatted past tense, swats singular, swats singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “swat” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

A variant spelling of "squat," originally describing a quick striking motion.

wat