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

3

: 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

Their worry is that investors are treating this economic moment — physical supply disruptions, geopolitical fracturing, tariff whiplash — like the liquidity crises of the past, which were solvable with government cash. —Rachel Keidan, semafor.com, 7 May 2026

What could be a tonal whiplash instead feels seamless, thanks in no small part to Eyre-Morgan, whose performance anchors his lead’s self-destructive spiral. —David Opie, IndieWire, 4 May 2026

That's a heck of a whiplash from last month's record warmth that was in place. —Ron Smiley, CBS News, 4 May 2026

Soderstrom missed Wednesday’s game after suffering whiplash from diving for a ball on Tuesday. —Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for whiplash

• backlash
• chumash
• eyelash
• moustache
• mustache
• noncash
• potash
• rehash
• ash
• bash
• brash
• cache

Kids 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)