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
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wham
SI.com, 21 June 2019
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
Noun
Goalscorer Asamoah Gyan took the resulting penalty, only to wham it off the top of the bar.
—SI.com, 21 June 2019
Verb
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wham
Noun
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Alas, the captive here also ended with a thud and a bloody mess on the pavement.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Brendan McDermid | Reuters Wall Street ended a busy week of earnings, economic data and policy decisions with a thud, as a weak jobs report renewed concerns about the health of the U.S. economy in the face of President Donald Trump’s ever-shifting tariff policy.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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At one point, an overhead bin popped open and a few unbuckled passengers smacked their head on the ceiling.—
Elaine Godfrey,
The Atlantic,
6 Aug. 2025
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Sitting down with IndieWire, smack in the middle of their getting ready process for World of Wonder’s FYC Pride Event on June 6 in Los Angeles, Season 17 queens Onya Nurve and Jewels Sparkles said the key to harnessing that legacy was having fun.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The expiration of the enhanced subsidies will also deal a major blow to Covered Connecticut, a program that provides no-cost exchange plans to residents who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but still earn 175% or less than the federal poverty level.—
Jenna Carlesso,
Hartford Courant,
13 Aug. 2025
-
The Postal Savings Bank, established in 1911, softened the blow of the Great Depression for millions, before being killed by the big banks in 1967.—
Mark Dimondstein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Produced by Universal Pictures, Nobody 2 is the sequel to the 2021 action comedy hit Nobody.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
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The Mega Millions jackpot was last hit June 27, when a Virginia player won the $348 million grand prize, lottery officials said.—
Don Sweeney,
Miami Herald,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Though the latter can play third base, both are primarily generating interest, however much might be out there, for their ability to add some thump to a contending team's lineup.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 July 2025
-
The wolf was quite literally at the door of the blue house on Highway 49 in Sierra County, tearing apart an elk on the front porch as the college-age son of the owner sat alone inside, listening to the thumps and snarls and hoping the latch was secure.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Ohtani whacked a single to center on that first pitch.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
18 July 2025
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Social media is flooded with compilations of her being whacked and hitting the deck.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
22 June 2025
Noun
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Some of those bombardments have come immediately after Putin talked with Trump on the phone in what can only be categorized as a deliberate slap in the face.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
15 July 2025
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After hopping on stage for an infamous moment at the 2022 Academy Awards, Will Smith has hopped the pond to rap about the slap heard 'round the world.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Rahaman continued the family legacy by boxing from 1964 to 1972, winning 14 out of his 18 fights.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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His ability to box out an opponent for a rebound is something he’s carried to the football field with jump balls.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
2 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wham.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wham. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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