whack

1 of 2

verb

ˈ(h)wak 

whacked; whacking; whacks

transitive verb

1

a

: to strike with a smart or resounding blow

whack the ball

b

: to cut with or as if with a whack : chop

2

chiefly British : to get the better of : defeat

3

slang : murder, kill

intransitive verb

: to strike a smart or resounding blow

whacker noun

whack

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a smart or resounding blow

also : the sound of or as if of such a blow

b

: a critical attack

2

: portion, share

3

: condition, state

4

a

: an opportunity or attempt to do something

take a whack at it

b

: a single action or occasion

borrowed $50 all at one whack

Phrases

out of whack

1

: out of proper order or shape

threw his knee out of whack

2

: not in accord

… feeling out of whack with her contemporaries …

—S. E. Rubin

Synonyms of whack

Verb

• hit
• knock
• slap
• smack
• punch
• bang
• slam
• strike
• clap
• pound
• bat
• clip
• swipe
• crack
• kick

Noun

• attempt
• try
• stab

Examples of whack in a Sentence

Verb

She whacked the piñata with a stick.

The old man lifted his cane and whacked the mugger on the head.

They were whacking through the jungle with their machetes.

He got whacked by mobsters.

Noun

The pile of books hit the floor with a whack.

took a whack at solving the math problem

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The head-to-head results — SDSU smacked Fresno State, and FSU whacked Boise State — clearly indicate the Broncos are slotted in the right place. —Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Nov. 2025

And the details include a rogue’s gallery of characters who together underscore the whack-a-mole challenge of combating money laundering. —Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025

Noun

The song has so much force that, like a comet pulled from orbit, its gravitational pull throws a light farce out of whack. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2025

Adam Leventhal has a great story on the corporate game of whack-a-mole that is taking down a piracy giant. —Chris Branch, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably imitative of the sound of a blow

First Known Use

Verb

1719, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1737, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing whack

• (all) in one whack
• fair whack
• full whack
• have/take a whack at
• out of whack
• top whack
• whack off
• whack up

Rhymes for whack

• ack
• brack
• clack
• crack
• dak
• flack
• flak
• hack
• jack
• knack
• lac
• lack

Kids Definition

whack

1 of 2 verb

ˈhwak 

ˈwak

: to hit or cut with a hard noisy blow

whacked the ball into left field

whacker noun

whack

2 of 2 noun

1

: a hard noisy blow

also : its sound

2

: try entry 2, attempt

take a whack at it