whacked; whacking; whacks
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
: to strike a smart or resounding blow
whacker
noun
1
a
: a smart or resounding blow
also
: the sound of or as if of such a blow
b
: a critical attack
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
see also out of whack
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
Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Even where verification was mandated, such as in Taiwan and Singapore, Meta’s systems showed a whack-a-mole effect.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
Your energy levels are all out of whack as the sun and moon clash!
—Usa Today, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whack
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Verb
Rasmus Dahlin and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen weren’t on the same page playing a puck behind the net, and Mavrik Bourque whacked a rebound in with Dahlin as the closest Sabre in coverage.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Even where verification was mandated, such as in Taiwan and Singapore, Meta’s systems showed a whack-a-mole effect.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025
Noun
This team’s offense is out of whack.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
Your energy levels are all out of whack as the sun and moon clash!
—Usa Today, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whack
Cite this Entry
“Whack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whack. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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 noun1
: a hard noisy blow
also
: its sound
2
: try entry 2, attempt
take a whack at it
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