banged; banging; bangs
1
: to strike sharply : bump
banged his knee
2
: to knock, hit, or thrust vigorously often with a sharp noise
banged the door shut
3
vulgar slang
: to have sexual intercourse with
1
: to strike with a sharp noise or thump
2
: to produce a sharp often metallic explosive or percussive noise or series of such noises
3
: to play a sport (such as basketball) in a very aggressive and forceful manner
bang for rebounds
1
: a resounding blow
2
: a sudden loud noise
—often used interjectionally
3
a
: a sudden striking effect
b
: a quick burst of energy
start off with a bang
c
: thrill
I get a bang out of all this—
W. H. Whyte
W. H. Whyte4
vulgar slang
a
: an act of copulation
b
: a sexual partner
5
informal
: exclamation point
plural bangs
US
: the front section of a person's hair when it is cut short and worn over the forehead
—usually used in plural
wore her bangs short
She had long hair with bangs.
In person, Miss Chin is small and pretty, with black button eyes, fluffy black bangs and dimples that show when she giggles …—Helen Lawrenson
Helen Lawrenson
banged; banging; bangs
: to cut (hair) short and squarely across
Phrases
bang for the buck
or less commonly bang for one's buck
or bang for the dollar
or bang for one's dollar
US, informal
: value received from outlay or effort
investment is yielding less bang for the buck—Fortune
Fortune"They are going to try to get the best bang for their dollar, and they have to do it this way." Brock Lesnar
Synonyms
Verb (1)
Noun (1)
- 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
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Adverb
Examples of bang in a Sentence
Adverb
The show began bang on time.
the reform movement was just beginning when it bang ran into opposition
Recent Examples on the WebCindy Kuzma, SELF, 6 Apr. 2024
To get the most bang for your buck, consider visiting in the off-season when hotel rates tend to be at their lowest.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2024
Four sheriff’s department vehicles were struck by gunfire during the pursuit, and deputies seized multiple firearms and hundreds of rounds, as well as flash bangs, smoke grenades, body armor and tactical helmets from Graziano's truck, the agency said.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 3 Apr. 2024
Save more money with bundles... Sculpt Nation offers several pricing options to get the most bang for your BURN PM.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Mary & George gives viewers plenty of bang for their buck.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2024
By the end of the weekend, the face of Mugler fragrance Anok Yai turned us onto a new version of the trending bob; flipping the bangs and ends into a half-curl.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 25 Mar. 2024
In recent months, she's worn her hair long and straight in her classic light red color, often styled back in a slick ponytail or with some curly bangs to frame her face.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Also included with your purchase are the Lumix G Vario 14-42mm and 45-150mm lenses, making this purchase a lot of bang for your buck.
—Jade Chung-Lee, PCMAG, 22 Mar. 2024
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
Using soft-action baitcasting rods and 8-pound abrasion-resistant line, troll between 1.5 and 2.5 mph in a lazy S pattern, alternately sweeping the open water over the channel and banging bottom on top of the drop with your lures.
—Don Wirth, Field & Stream, 4 Apr. 2024
But he was stranded when the Brewers banged into an inning-ending double-play.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The meeting went on for two hours and 41 minutes, with board members interrupting and insulting one another and raising their voices to the point that the board vice president had to bang a gavel to stop the arguing.
—Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
The performers joined forces to collectively bang a drum, dressed in traditional Osage attire, as the women sang.
—Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
Babies develop hand-eye coordination by banging, nesting, stacking, and rolling these cups around.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
In recent years, records show, inmates have died from jumping off railings, banging their heads against a wall and injecting drugs with makeshift needles — all in view of jail surveillance cameras that no one watched until later.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
The 6-foot-6 defensive savant endures more physical punishment at center, banging bodies inside on box-outs.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
Noun
To get the most bang for your exercise buck, your workout program should be weighted heavily in favor of these easy days.
—Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 6 Apr. 2024
To get the most bang for your buck, consider visiting in the off-season when hotel rates tend to be at their lowest.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2024
Four sheriff’s department vehicles were struck by gunfire during the pursuit, and deputies seized multiple firearms and hundreds of rounds, as well as flash bangs, smoke grenades, body armor and tactical helmets from Graziano's truck, the agency said.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 3 Apr. 2024
Save more money with bundles... Sculpt Nation offers several pricing options to get the most bang for your BURN PM.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Mary & George gives viewers plenty of bang for their buck.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2024
By the end of the weekend, the face of Mugler fragrance Anok Yai turned us onto a new version of the trending bob; flipping the bangs and ends into a half-curl.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 25 Mar. 2024
In recent months, she's worn her hair long and straight in her classic light red color, often styled back in a slick ponytail or with some curly bangs to frame her face.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Also included with your purchase are the Lumix G Vario 14-42mm and 45-150mm lenses, making this purchase a lot of bang for your buck.
—Jade Chung-Lee, PCMAG, 22 Mar. 2024
Verb
Much like Smith observed at the zoo, the Royals’ fan base is banging at the door hoping for a winner.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
Using soft-action baitcasting rods and 8-pound abrasion-resistant line, troll between 1.5 and 2.5 mph in a lazy S pattern, alternately sweeping the open water over the channel and banging bottom on top of the drop with your lures.
—Don Wirth, Field & Stream, 4 Apr. 2024
But he was stranded when the Brewers banged into an inning-ending double-play.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The meeting went on for two hours and 41 minutes, with board members interrupting and insulting one another and raising their voices to the point that the board vice president had to bang a gavel to stop the arguing.
—Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
The performers joined forces to collectively bang a drum, dressed in traditional Osage attire, as the women sang.
—Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
Babies develop hand-eye coordination by banging, nesting, stacking, and rolling these cups around.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
In recent years, records show, inmates have died from jumping off railings, banging their heads against a wall and injecting drugs with makeshift needles — all in view of jail surveillance cameras that no one watched until later.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
The 6-foot-6 defensive savant endures more physical punishment at center, banging bodies inside on box-outs.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bang.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bang
Cite this Entry
“Bang.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bang. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bang
1 of 4 verb
: to beat, strike, or shut with a loud noise
bang
2 of 4 noun1
: a violent blow
2
: a sudden loud noise
3
a
: a quick burst of energy
start off with a bang
b
: a feeling of being thrilled or pleased
you'll get a bang out of this
bang
3 of 4 noun
: hair cut short across the forehead
—usually used in plural
bang
4 of 4 verb
: to cut (front hair) short and squarely across
Etymology
Verb
probably of Scandinavian origin
Noun
probably from earlier bangtail "a short tail (on a horse)"
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