1
2
as in blows
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the wasp's nest a good whack with the bat
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in claps
a loud explosive sound
the whack echoed around the field
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in slaps
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
whacked the vending machine to get the candy bar to fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in assassinates
slang
to put to death deliberately
without a second thought the mob boss had them whacked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whacks
Mike Cook,
Twin Cities,
14 Mar. 2026
The star then grabbed a bat and took several whacks at a colorful piñata shaped like a cascaron.
—
René Guzman,
San Antonio Express-News,
4 Feb. 2026
Deeper down the road the slap of the drooping tropical tree branches against the windshield are like punishing whacks to the face for trying to force a metaphor.
—
Matt Negrin,
Rolling Stone,
20 Sep. 2025
Brush off hair and debris from the surface, then give it a few whacks against the inside of the trash can to knock out some of the dust.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
Zoe Collins Rath,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
Then little Holly Wheeler and her 10-year-old friends, including the Season 5 favorite Derek (Jake Connelly), all swarm into the basement and take over the D&D table in a passing of the torch that basically whacks the audience over our collective heads.
—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
31 Dec. 2025
Fed up with Nicky’s dramatics, Lester uses his elevator crank and whacks the former hard in the back of his neck.
—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
Fanning flatlines when left to be a solo show as Bertino whacks her around like a pinball, hitting big, loud scares that seem to keep resetting.
—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
In the opening minute alone, Murphy shot just wide off a turnover and Josefin Bouveng set up Madison Kaiser for a couple of whacks from the edge of the blue paint that were both stopped.
—
Mike Cook,
Twin Cities,
14 Mar. 2026
The star then grabbed a bat and took several whacks at a colorful piñata shaped like a cascaron.
—
René Guzman,
San Antonio Express-News,
4 Feb. 2026
Deeper down the road the slap of the drooping tropical tree branches against the windshield are like punishing whacks to the face for trying to force a metaphor.
—
Matt Negrin,
Rolling Stone,
20 Sep. 2025
Brush off hair and debris from the surface, then give it a few whacks against the inside of the trash can to knock out some of the dust.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
With runners on the corners, Martinez whacks a two-run, RBI double to tie it at five.
—
Zoe Collins Rath,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
Then little Holly Wheeler and her 10-year-old friends, including the Season 5 favorite Derek (Jake Connelly), all swarm into the basement and take over the D&D table in a passing of the torch that basically whacks the audience over our collective heads.
—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
31 Dec. 2025
Fed up with Nicky’s dramatics, Lester uses his elevator crank and whacks the former hard in the back of his neck.
—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
Fanning flatlines when left to be a solo show as Bertino whacks her around like a pinball, hitting big, loud scares that seem to keep resetting.
—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whacks
Noun
-
Several tries later, and the app started tracking my brain waves.
-
New Zealand hasn’t won a World Cup match in six tries, with three losses in 1982 and bizarrely draws in all three matches in 2010.
Noun
-
Onaje died four days later — having suffered fatal brain hemorrhaging from multiple blows to his skull.
-
Officers said that Samartino quickly assessed the situation and immediately began administering back blows to the infant.
Noun
-
One of the moments in the musical that caused the most laughter and claps from the audience was the final song, which mocks the idea of using violence as a form of protest rather than joining a movement or focusing on policy.
-
There were the polite claps after good attacks by the Swiss, sarcastic whistles by the Qatari fans after their team again failed to mount a threat.
Verb
-
Wilhelm enters the room, removes most of his clothing and gets into bed with her, slaps her, pushes her away and then caresses her face and cradles her.
-
That direct relationship is what separates a true farm to table operation from a restaurant that simply slaps the phrase on a marketing page.
Verb
-
That assassinates Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparking retaliatory attacks by Iran across the Middle East.
-
Soleimani assassination | Trump orders a drone strike in Iraq that assassinates Qasem Soleimani, an influential Iranian military commander.
Noun
-
As Kennedy and Bessette spend more time together and grow closer, her intimidation of the spotlight and fear of invasive paparazzi often create tension in their relationship, despite his attempts to calm the situation.
-
An early furor over accepting valuable gifts, including designer spectacles and Taylor Swift concert tickets, was followed by a series of policy U-turns, especially clumsy attempts to cut welfare spending that stirred anger in Labour ranks.
Noun
-
Agents yelled from every direction, and the thumps of a news helicopter overhead were deafening.
-
You’ll be thrown around in your seat, which moves in sync with the action, along with thumps in the back, splashes of water, blasts of air, smoke, and flashes of light.
Noun
-
Edgar-Jones, who has long been known for her enviable hair—her piecey bangs and teddy bear bronde color have shown up on mood boards everywhere—previously told Vogue that her ultimate inspiration is none other than the patron saint of French Girl Beauty, Jane Birkin.
-
Instead, the Q*bert soundtrack bangs.
Cite this Entry
“Whacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whacks. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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