
Swat
Physical action
Used when describing a quick, usually small, hitting movement by a person.
She swatted his hand away as he reached for the cookie.
Common with insects
Often used when trying to hit a flying insect like a mosquito or fly.
I swatted at the buzzing bees trying to land on my food.
Metaphorical use
Can be used metaphorically to describe rejecting something annoying or troublesome.
He swatted away all my excuses with sound arguments.