bofetear

To slap — largely interchangeable with the more common abofetear, from bofetada (a slap). Both are understood everywhere, though abofetear appears somewhat more often in formal writing.

• Lo bofeteó delante de todos por la ofensa. — She slapped him in front of everyone for the insult.
• Nunca había bofeteado a nadie hasta ese día. — He had never slapped anyone until that day.
• Se contuvo para no bofetearlo cuando se rió de ella. — She held herself back from slapping him when he laughed at her.

Interchangeable with abofetear — there's no real difference in meaning, just a slight preference for abofetear in more formal or literary registers.

Often confused with abofetear.