as in dwarf
a person of no importance or influence
some young whippersnapper piped up with a pointless comment
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Recent Examples of whippersnapper
Now please don’t get the whippersnappers in the GTW offices wrong.
—
Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2025
Like his character, his powers haven’t dimmed with age, whatever the whippersnappers might think, and if both have made a few bad decisions in a long career, not even Superman is perfect anymore.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025
The Jets were young whippersnappers in 2022, a team that wasn’t supposed to be any good but jumped out to a 6-3 record powered by a remarkable rookie class.
—Zack Rosenblatt, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Meanwhile, private investigator Julie (Estrada) seeks an investigative assistant but isn't in the market to hire a young whippersnapper.
—Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for whippersnapper
Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2025
Like his character, his powers haven’t dimmed with age, whatever the whippersnappers might think, and if both have made a few bad decisions in a long career, not even Superman is perfect anymore.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025
The Jets were young whippersnappers in 2022, a team that wasn’t supposed to be any good but jumped out to a 6-3 record powered by a remarkable rookie class.
—Zack Rosenblatt, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Meanwhile, private investigator Julie (Estrada) seeks an investigative assistant but isn't in the market to hire a young whippersnapper.
—Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for whippersnapper
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whippersnapper
Noun
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Skip cosmetic pruning of conifers during the coldest part of winter and delay shaping trims for ornamental yews, junipers, boxwoods, and tree-type conifers like dwarf spruces until after the new flush of growth in spring.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Jan. 2026
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Care Requirements When cultivating a dwarf apple tree indoors, choose a container with drainage holes that has a top diameter of 18 to 22 inches or a capacity of 15 to 25 gallons.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Like Dostoyevsky, Capote doesn’t portray his killers as demonic ciphers, instead capturing their messy complexity.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
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Two streetlamps engaged in a mute but luminous dialogue, an indecipherable Morse code, alluding to the silent exchanges and secret ciphers of strangers who meet there for their trysts.—
Javier Montes,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Many of Newsom’s critics who breathlessly report on his evil plans (that the left-wing mainstream media supposedly cover up) are just nobodies who feign authority and are obviously fronting for right-wing organizations.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
16 Dec. 2025
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Where else could award winning writers pop off about nothing at all, and nobodies could rattle the ivory towers?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Its lightweight, metal frame is easy for one person to maneuver, and the size reflects enough light to make even your shoebox feel grand.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
12 Jan. 2026
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The Samsonite Winfield 2 Hardside Expandable Checked Bag is a Travel + Leisure editor favorite, thanks to its lightweight yet durable shell.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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And now a new study finds that when humans encroach on wild places, these insects may develop a special taste for human blood above all other food sources.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
15 Jan. 2026
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Another study found that cleared forest patches had created a perfect breeding environment for the insect, helping its return.—
Tom Hawking,
Popular Science,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Taking on classic buddy-comedy attributes, Sam is the together one with a programmatic path toward life as a wealthy but hollow finance twerp, while Ari is the brash, cracked, less-medicated-than-he-should-be bull in a china shop.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
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Most of the movie is a vaguely comical swipe at Napoleon in domestic life—an awkward lover, a jealous husband, an inveterate complainer, and in sum an annoying twerp.—
Kyle Smith,
WSJ,
21 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Whippersnapper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whippersnapper. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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