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
-
The Russian military appears to be losing some ground in Ukraine, contrary to claims by Moscow’s top brass; Ukrainian strikes are delivering damaging blows to vital Russian oil and gas infrastructure; and drone strikes by Kyiv have disrupted life in the Russian capital before.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026 -
And Minnesota didn’t absorb or respond to the blows.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With an adjournment deadline of midnight Wednesday, Ritter is facing daily disasters and dramas relating to lawmakers clamoring for votes on bills destined to die without their moment on the floor.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
-
Miller served for a decade as chairman of Team Rubicon, a nonprofit that helps communities around the globe recover from disasters.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
There has been no lesson learned and inadequate spending on infrastructure improvements, which would help prevent future catastrophes.—
Kristine Alessio,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
-
At the center of that calculation is the Disaster Relief Fund, FEMA's primary account for responding to catastrophes.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Recent horrific tragedies have demonstrated the urgent need to improve Cook County’s process for enforcing warrants, too.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Less known, and more uncomfortable, is how some Democrats tend to go silent on the role that demonization from the left can play in these tragedies too.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 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 4 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
