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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as in to smack
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wham
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
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
SI.com, 21 June 2019
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
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
Noun
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That will include the X-59’s first supersonic flight, in which the aircraft will achieve the optimal speed and altitude for a boom—or thud, in this case.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
29 Oct. 2025
-
After a promising start, the Carson Wentz era might have just ended with a thud.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Quietly handling the cornbread, with a buttery scent that smacks you right in the face, is her paternal grandmother.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
30 Oct. 2025
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As the scene unfolds, the gorilla suddenly lifts its arm and smacks the glass, causing a crack.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Michael Owens / Getty Images A struggling Chicago Bears defense was dealt another blow Monday with news that defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo tore his Achilles and is going to miss the rest of the season.—
Kevin Fishbain,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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The rain came down sideways, the temperature dipped from the 50s to the 40s, and Inter Miami’s playoff hopes took a big blow on Saturday night as Lionel Messi and his teammates lost 2-1 on the road to Nashville SC.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Shein—a global fast-fashion juggernaut headquartered in Singapore—was mere days away from opening its first physical store in Paris, inside the BHV Marais department store, when the news hit.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
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Rojas, a light-hitting infielder, hit an unexpected home run in the ninth inning of Game Seven to tie it and force extra innings, when the Dodgers won it.—
Steve Futterman,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The result is that the sonic boom becomes a sonic thump of 60 dB to 80 dB, or about that of a car door closing for those on the ground.—
David Szondy
October 28,
New Atlas,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The Skullcandy Crusher Evo headphones are all about feeling every thump, and beat.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Meta stock got whacked after CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the company's plan to spend about $71 billion on AI chips and other expenses in 2025.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
30 Oct. 2025
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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
Noun
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Greenstein and Goldberg tried — and failed — to dissuade their boss from giving Will Smith and his company Westbrook an overall deal with the studio, arguing that the Oscar-slap controversy and a dodgy box office track record would result in more headaches than hits.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
4 Nov. 2025
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That included two stellar stops in the waning seconds of the third with Carolina on the power play, rebuffing a slap shot and then blocking the rebound with his leg pad.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To mark the occasion, Crumbl is also releasing limited-edition Martha Stewart boxes for its six-pack orders — perfect for gifting or adding a touch of elegance to any gathering.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
3 Nov. 2025
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The Wild lost the draw, and seconds later, Jonas Brodin didn’t box out Rust for the go-ahead goal.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wham.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wham. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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