whiplash
noun
whip·lash
ˈ(h)wip-ˌlash 
1
: the lash of a whip
2
: something resembling a blow from a whip
… the whiplash of fear …—
R. S. Banay
R. S. Banay3
: injury resulting from a sudden sharp whipping movement of the neck and head (as of a person in a vehicle that is struck from the rear by another vehicle)
Examples of whiplash in a Sentence
He got whiplash when his car was rear-ended.
Recent Examples on the Web
The art market, in whiplash fashion, experienced pupil-dilating highs just after the pandemic, a lethargic two-year slump, then a sudden multi-billion-dollar rebound in the fall.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
The diplomatic whiplash was on full display in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, where the annual World Economic Forum unfolded against the backdrop of growing uncertainty about America's role as a global leader among Western democracies.
—Willem Marx, NPR, 23 Jan. 2026
The whiplash on tariffs calls back to the early months of his return to office, when the status of tariffs on imports from countries, ranging from our biggest trade partners to an uninhabited island, was dizzying.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
The whiplash of developments followed weeks of escalating threats from the president to control Greenland by any means necessary — including by force, if left with no other choice.
—Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whiplash
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Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
The diplomatic whiplash was on full display in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, where the annual World Economic Forum unfolded against the backdrop of growing uncertainty about America's role as a global leader among Western democracies.
—Willem Marx, NPR, 23 Jan. 2026
The whiplash on tariffs calls back to the early months of his return to office, when the status of tariffs on imports from countries, ranging from our biggest trade partners to an uninhabited island, was dizzying.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
The whiplash of developments followed weeks of escalating threats from the president to control Greenland by any means necessary — including by force, if left with no other choice.
—Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whiplash
Cite this Entry
“Whiplash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whiplash. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whiplash
noun
whip·lash
-ˌlash
1
: the lash of a whip
2
: injury resulting from a sudden sharp jerking movement of the head and neck (as of a person in a car that is struck from behind by another car)
Medical Definition
whiplash
noun
whip·lash
ˈhwip-ˌlash, ˈwip-
: injury resulting from a sudden sharp whipping movement of the neck and head (as of a person in a vehicle that is struck head-on or from the rear by another vehicle)
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