1
as in spell
a spoken word or set of words believed to have magic power
if you tell anyone about this, I swear I'll put the whammy on you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in curse
something that brings bad luck
put the whammy on herself by publicly predicting that she would win the tennis tournament
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 whammy
The Kansas City area faces a weekend double-whammy as blistering heat gives way to powerful storms that could bring flooding and severe weather, according to the National Weather Service.
—
Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025
The second quarter was hit by a triple whammy of tariffs, domestic inflation and sudden spikes in bond yields that made banner headlines.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Nadkarni: The Denver Nuggets trading Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson was something of a triple whammy.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 3 July 2025
But according to what has now become received wisdom among industry observers, the pandemic-era triple whammy of Pixar originals, Luca, Soul, and Turning Red, skipping theaters effectively rewired audience expectations.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for whammy
Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025
The second quarter was hit by a triple whammy of tariffs, domestic inflation and sudden spikes in bond yields that made banner headlines.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Nadkarni: The Denver Nuggets trading Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson was something of a triple whammy.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 3 July 2025
But according to what has now become received wisdom among industry observers, the pandemic-era triple whammy of Pixar originals, Luca, Soul, and Turning Red, skipping theaters effectively rewired audience expectations.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for whammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whammy
Noun
-
But 17 games and four wins later, the club announced Felix Magath was the new boss, without actually mentioning that Meulensteen had been moved on, which was a weird start to a truly surreal spell.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Hocus Pocus actress Stephanie Faracy's iconic Madonna Halloween costume from the 1993 Disney classic has cast a spell on her latest acting gig 32 years later.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But, because of the fragile nature of the pumpkin, Bierton understands that it’s not meant to last, which is both a blessing and a curse.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The pic, from director Marcel Walz and Anathema LLC, follows what happens when a carefree night of partying takes a sinister turn when a group of friends stumble upon an ancient curse and are forced to survive until dawn as a malevolent force begins hunting them.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Is this an attempt at a reverse jinx to repay my karmic debt from my 2012 World Series prediction?—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
But these low-risk hi jinx will encourage your own littles to try new things and take chances for the adventure of learning and saving friends.—
Katie Grant,
Parents,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whammy. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share