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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Recent Examples of double whammy
The reading brought a sigh of relief, easing concerns that the economy was facing a double whammy of a softening labor market with reaccelerating inflation.
—
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
And farmers are suffering a double whammy because the costs of the inputs needed to grow those soybeans — fertilizer, seeds, potash, equipment — are rising, also because of tariffs.
—Patricia Lopez, Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2025
This year that profile looks to be ensured by a double whammy.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
This one is a double whammy safety-wise.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for double whammy
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
And farmers are suffering a double whammy because the costs of the inputs needed to grow those soybeans — fertilizer, seeds, potash, equipment — are rising, also because of tariffs.
—Patricia Lopez, Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2025
This year that profile looks to be ensured by a double whammy.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
This one is a double whammy safety-wise.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for double whammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double whammy
Noun
-
Additionally, hometown hero and skier Gus Kenworthy acts as host for the entire week, which features events like the blow-out White Party, a drag and burlesque show with both national and local talent, and the Glitter Ball where anything that sparkles is in fashion.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
-
George Kittle’s Achilles had popped, a devastating blow to the soul of the roster.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
More than a year after the disaster, which killed all but two people on board, much is still unclear about why the passenger jet crash landed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
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The councilwoman emphasized that every neighborhood in Los Angeles is just one disaster from devastation.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In the fictional story of the Shakespeare family, their family tragedy leads Shakespeare to write Hamlet.—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
-
And that would be the real tragedy.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Double whammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double%20whammy. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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