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

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

On the other hand, an accumulation of those particles around the poles could throw out of whack the tropical monsoon system, the researchers explain. —Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2025

One is a simple whack-a-mole game. —Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025

Noun

After Johnson gave his answer to that resolutely dumb question, several other luminaries took a whack at the zeitgeist piñata. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2025

Identities are swapped, bodies are dropped and everything seems out of whack. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 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

1736, 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