lay the smack down

verb

To start a fight (sometimes with on).

“Watch out or Brody'll lay the smack down.”

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Meanings

verblay the smack down (third-person singular simple present lays the smack down, present participle laying the smack down, simple past and past participle laid the smack down)

present singular third person lays the smack down · participle present laying the smack down · participle past laid the smack down · past laid the smack down

  1. slangTo start a fight (sometimes with on).

    Watch out or Brody'll lay the smack down.

    1 more example

    Did you see her lay the smack down on the bouncer?

  2. slangTo decisively defeat or dominate. (sometimes with on)

    I totally laid the smack down on that test.

Origin

A catchphrase of wrestler "The Rock" (Dwayne Johnson); see also smackdown.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

lay the smack down. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lay%20the%20smack%20down

MLA

“lay the smack down.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lay%20the%20smack%20down. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lay the smack down,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lay%20the%20smack%20down.

Source: lay the smack down on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.