whippersnappers

noun

plural of whippersnapper
as in lightweights
a person of no importance or influence some young whippersnapper piped up with a pointless comment

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 whippersnappers The young whippersnappers in their nice Manhattan apartments see the COVID-19 pandemic as simply one more roadblock between them and hooking up. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 2 June 2026 More, the coaches of the last three title-winning teams (Florida’s Todd Golden and Hurley) all come from the current crop of whippersnappers, as do the leaders of each 1-seed in this tourney. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026 Mills gives off the disarming sense of a secure soul undeterred by whippersnappers who toss around fancy words such as gerontocracy. — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whippersnappers
  1. lightweights
  2. nobodies
  3. ciphers
  4. dwarfs
  5. shrimp
  6. insects
Noun
  • Jupiter, by comparison, is as much as 35 times denser than these two lightweights.
    — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
  • The card will also feature several other San Diego-area boxers, including super lightweights Daniel Morales (8-0, 5 KOs) and Angel Juan Estrada (12-1-1, 9 KOs).
    — Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of lightweights
Noun
  • In the trailer, the civilians are selling themselves as a new breed of nobodies.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Despite the tragicomic instability and the rotating cast of nobodies temporarily tasked with running the country, when seen in macroeconomic terms, Peru appears to be doing just fine, thank you.
    — Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Definition of nobodies
Noun
  • There’s that vibrancy and, on the other side of the ledger, dead boys, ciphers, unfinished or unfinishable quests.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Consider a dashboard that shows applications, including keys and libraries; network traffic protocols and ciphers; hardware, such as HSMs and TPMs; and third-party dependencies, including cryptographic or software bills of materials.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Definition of ciphers
Noun
  • Watching all ten members sing at once is funny the way the seven dwarves all sleeping in their little beds next to each other is funny.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
  • This is why a major question in the field is whether or not rocky planet atmospheres can even survive at all around M dwarfs.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Definition of dwarfs
Noun
  • Pour the sauce over and gently toss with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the shrimp and avocado are thoroughly coated.
    — Janelle Davis, CNN, 7 Feb. 2023
  • Brine shrimp are a critical food source for the aquaculture industry.
    — Evan Bush, NBC News, 21 Jan. 2023
Definition of shrimp
Noun
  • About 50 employees signed off on an email to leadership expressing concerns and providing suggestions, such as evaluating clutter and removing items like pillows that are hotspots for the insects.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • During dry periods, soil-dwelling bacteria produce a compound called geosmin that deters insects such as fruit flies.
    — Gregory Wakeman, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of insects

Browse Nearby Words

whippersnapper
whippersnappers
whipping
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Cite this Entry

“Whippersnappers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whippersnappers. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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