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Glite Dictionary
⚡ A sudden jolt 💥 To destroy quickly 🍲 To microwave 📺 To switch channels
to zap

to zap

1 3.7
To change TV channels quickly using a remote control
  • verb
  • /zæp/
  • Informal
translation icon : cambiar de canal
  • He quickly grabbed the remote and zapped to the sports channel as soon as the game started.
  • zap through TV channels
  • zap through commercials
  • zap the TV

Examples

  • GONZO zaps TV channels—commercials.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • So now if you are zapping remaining TV, you will see a lot of variation of Fox News media all over the place.

  • She zaps the remote, and a program hyping the Summer of Love comes on...

    Fiction book (1995)

  • After a long day, I like to relax and zap through the channels to find a good movie.

  • Whenever a commercial comes on, she zaps to another channel to avoid the ads.

Synonyms

to change the channel
vsto zap
23 1.3

Switch to a different television channel by pressing a button or using the remote

is a quick remote action emphasizing speed rather than neutral switching
to channel-surf
vsto zap
  • Informal
5 5.6

To switch quickly between TV channels without watching any show for long

is a fast single change using a remote rather than continuous browsing

Antonyms

to stay
∞ 1.0

To remain in one place and not leave

Phrasal Verbs

to zap (an email)
  • Texting
7.5

Send an email quickly, usually in an informal way when it is urgent

to zap the music
  • Informal
8.2

Turn off or lower the music quickly using a remote

to zap the bug
  • Jargon
6.7

To fix a problem in a computer program quickly

How Fast

to channel-surf
  • Informal
5 5.6
to zap
  • Informal
1 3.7

Surface Forms

zap infinitive
zapped past
zapped past participle
zapping present participle
zaps third person singular

Etymology

Zap comes from the quick electric sound 'zap' and the idea of moving like a spark. So to zap through TV channels is to change them very quickly.