double whammy

noun

Definition of double whammynext
as in blow
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.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of double whammy The common denominator is an allergy to red meat, but some people get hit with the double whammy of meat and dairy. — Andy Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2026 Standardized options included a double whammy of increasing premiums and deductibles or other patient cost-sharing. — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Peralta’s season is a double whammy. — Will Sammon, New York Times, 21 June 2026 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’s cancellation is a double whammy, as CBS is scrapping The Late Show format for good. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for double whammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double whammy
  1. blow
  2. disaster
  3. catastrophe
  4. tragedy
Noun
  • Ferran Torres Torres was not the first-choice striker for Spain at the World Cup, but that did not stop him from landing the decisive blow after his team-mates had spent 106 minutes dominating Argentina without a breakthrough.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • But the federal agency that has required companies to collect and report demographic workforce data since 1966 is now working to end that practice, a move some critics say would be a huge blow to civil rights enforcement.
    — Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • The baby’s father, Andres Garcia, survived the boat disaster, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told CNN.
    — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Rescuers continued recovering bodies from the artisanal mining site in Zamboye, near the border with Cameroon, but local workers said the response lacked the equipment and expertise needed for a disaster of such scale.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • That tension between catastrophe for humanity and recovery for nature runs all the way to the ending.
    — Solitaire Townsend, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The first step in averting this spiral toward catastrophe is for both Beijing and Washington to bear in mind that these economic tools were not designed as weapons.
    — GLORIA XIONG, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • At first, its plea to remain somewhere in an old lover’s life can feel like the whole tragedy.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Boeing has admitted fault in these tragedies, attributing the cause of the crashes to a flawed Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).
    — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of tragedy

Browse Nearby Words

double whammies
double whammy
double-wide
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Cite this Entry

“Double whammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double%20whammy. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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