as in blows
informal
a situation that is bad in two different ways; a situation in which two bad conditions exist at the same time or two bad things happen one after the other
With the cold weather and the high cost of heating fuel, homeowners were hit with a double whammy this winter.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double whammies
Noun
-
However, that good news comes after Johnson suffered political blows from an obstinate City Council opposition over the recent budget, on top of other losses for his progressive agenda.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Jan. 2026 -
Only structure can absorb blows, regenerate leadership, and sustain momentum under fire.—
Kazem Kazerounian,
Hartford Courant,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Packers had seen their season end in two of the last three postseasons in part because of special teams disasters, and Saturday night was no different.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Overall, the nation suffered a staggering 23 separate weather and climate disasters in 2025, each of which cost over $1 billion in damages.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
An observer of catastrophes, come what may.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Across their nearly 100-year football rivalry, USC and Notre Dame have only paused their annual matchup for global catastrophes like World War II and the Covid-19 pandemic.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Now, traffic safety advocates are launching an effort to try and prevent more tragedies as part of the annual Passenger Safety Week.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Despite this—and despite the tragedies the family bears some responsibility for, like Chappaquiddick and Rosemary’s lobotomy—the Kennedy family’s legacy has stretched far beyond the thousand-odd days JFK served as the nation’s youngest president.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Jan. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Double whammies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double%20whammies. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
