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whammy

noun

ˈ(h)wa-mē How to pronounce whammy (audio)
Definition of whammynext
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

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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 triple whammy of the COVID-19 closures, inflation and technological disruption has left everyone hurting. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 Extreme heat this week has Chicago-area households facing a brutal double-whammy—staying safely cool without triggering a heart-stopping electric bill. — Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 29 June 2026 This is a real Prime Day deal double-whammy. — Chris McMullen, Space.com, 23 June 2026 As far as going through life’s grand stages is concerned, this has been a double-whammy of pain and powerlessness. — Eric Koreen, New York Times, 21 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for whammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whammy
  1. spell
  2. curse
  3. jinx
Noun
  • Already this year, multiple counties and towns have declared local emergencies as a spell of powerful tropical storms from the Pacific generated high surf that eroded local beaches.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • An accident disrupts the ritual, and Keigetsu, thrown off balance, sees her spell spiral out of her control, sending the two women back into each other’s bodies.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of spell
Noun
  • The anime’s first part closed with the disturbances tied to the body-swap curse largely resolved, and with Reirin and Keigetsu having grown closer after coming to understand each other through the experience.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
  • For readers who are familiar with the literary curse of Plaschke in his column over the years, this prediction is not that.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • Well, even just normal-life magic — jinxes, coincidences, destiny.
    — Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The ‘seven-year jinx’ — the K-pop industry’s shorthand for the contract expiration point at which groups typically fracture — did not claim TWICE on schedule, but in a way, has just claimed its first member now.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of jinx

Phrases Containing whammy

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whamming
whammy
whams
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Cite this Entry

“Whammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whammy. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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