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wham 1 of 2

noun

ˈ(h)wam How to pronounce wham (audio)
Definition of whamnext
as in thud
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument gave the TV a good wham with her fist, and suddenly the picture came back on

Synonyms & Similar Words

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wham

2 of 2

verb

as in to smack

Related Words

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 wham
Noun
TreVeyon Henderson covered 12 yards on a wham run, then 18 more on a misdirection toss where fullback Jack Westover and right guard Mike Onwenu presented false keys that indicated an inside run while Henderson zipped outside. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Oct. 2025 There’s an understood language of action that marries really close-up, sharp inserts, the propulsion of rapid editing, wham-bam sound effects, and visual carnage to create excitement. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 16 Aug. 2025 Easy drinking 100% Merlot with 14% alcohol with flavors that include dark licorice, cinnamon and nutmeg and a wham of a finish. — Tom Mullen, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025 Bryan Ferry, Brian Eno and company made their wham-bam-glam debut on ‘Roxy Music’ 50 years ago. — Jill Krajewski, SPIN, 8 June 2022 Chabon’s magnum opus is a gloriously fun, wham-pow novel of heroes, friendship, magic, the Golden Age of Comics, and sure, okay, Hitler. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2020 Perhaps my overall disappointment stems from this pilot stiffness, but the more likely culprit is the standard brashness of American reality television, which is less cinema vérité and more wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am. — Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Feb. 2020 But the movie, for all its retrograde politics and wham-bam machismo, can also be slick, silly fun — a giddy exercise in freewheeling nihilism, played to the hilt. — Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2020 The movie comes at you with a quick, wham-bam style that feels like a nod to the source material, a DC Vertigo comic-book series by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2019
Verb
Goalscorer Asamoah Gyan took the resulting penalty, only to wham it off the top of the bar. — SI.com, 21 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wham
  1. thud
  2. smack
  3. blow
  4. hit
  5. thump
  6. whack
  7. slap
  8. box
Noun
  • In 2019, the coach Brian Flores era began with a resounding thud as the Dolphins were trounced, 59-10, by Baltimore.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Others joined him and the thud of clubs on tree trunks resumed.
    — Leslie E. Tassell, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of thud
Verb
  • Dangbei rates it at 3,100 ISO lumens, which puts it pretty smack dab in the middle of projectors in this price range (MSRP is $1,999).
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Sep. 2026
  • That stretch started with the doubleheader sweep of the Detroit Tigers earlier this month, when Bazzana smacked a tying homer and a walk-off single in the nightcap.
    — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of smack
Noun
  • There have been plenty of in-game rotations, promising combinations, fluidity and creativity, but without the delivery of a final hammer blow.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The residents had sustained another blow when my friend, John Ahern, was a passenger on Pan Am Flight 103 that exploded on December 21, 1988 from a terrorist bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • The helicopter, which was used by NBC and Telemundo, crashed about two hours after police say Rios drove her 2004 Ford Expedition the wrong way down a busy avenue, ran a red light and struck a vehicle before hitting the bus.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Police say Rios drove her 2004 Ford Expedition the wrong way down a busy avenue, ran a red light, and struck another vehicle before hitting the Metro bus.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of hit
Noun
  • If those ground tests show the jet’s acoustic thump is soft enough for suburban skies, NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several US communities to gather public feedback.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Their pitching is good, Griffin Jax could return soon, and Liam Hicks has added some thump to a lineup previously built around three really good hitters (Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda) and a bunch of do-your-job role players.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of thump
Verb
  • There are frightening stories of swordfish charging boats, and even spearing their transoms and whacking propellers.
    — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Miami Dolphins rookie had shed his block and began pursuing Jameis Winston, reaching the New York Giants’ backup quarterback in time to whack him good with a legal hit.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of whack
Noun
  • Power, in-your-face attitude, and urgency are what make half of the Pretenders’ still-extraordinary 1978 debut slap.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Her Oscars triumph was also the night of the notorious Will Smith-Chris Rock on-stage slap, which overshadowed coverage.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of slap
Verb
  • Eubank Jr was seven years older than Benn, five years further into his professional career and, more pertinently, boxing at middleweight, three weight classes higher than super-lightweight Benn.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Pausing midway through a meal to check in with your hunger is a good rule of thumb, and boxing half of a meal at a restaurant to bring home can also help.
    — Gavin Escott, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of box

Browse Nearby Words

whaling
wham
whammed
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Cite this Entry

“Wham.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wham. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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