1
2
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the wasp's nest a good whack with the bat
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in bang
a loud explosive sound
the whack echoed around the field
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
whacked the vending machine to get the candy bar to fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to assassinate
slang
to put to death deliberately
without a second thought the mob boss had them whacked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whack
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
If someone is voting for a player that’s completely out of whack, like a team’s 12th man getting an MVP vote, everyone will know.
—Jason Jones, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
The racket could be seen bending as Medvedev repeatedly whacked it on the clay court, as the crowd cheered with every strike.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whack
Noun
After outshooting the Bruins in the first period, Minnesota continued to pressure goalie Jeremy Swayman in the middle frame, including a whack at an open net by Hartman that somehow missed.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
If someone is voting for a player that’s completely out of whack, like a team’s 12th man getting an MVP vote, everyone will know.
—Jason Jones, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
But in Oakland, where the homeless population is well over 5,000 by official estimates, some advocates have questioned whether tent clearings create a whack-a-mole problem — given that most homeless residents have nowhere else to go.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
The racket could be seen bending as Medvedev repeatedly whacked it on the clay court, as the crowd cheered with every strike.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whack
Noun
-
Cunningham was 13-for-23 from the field, made all 14 of his free throw attempts and added five assists.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
When scientists initially studied attempts to learn while sleeping, the results seemed promising.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Arsenal’s title challenge is back on track, Liverpool have been dealt a potentially season-defining injury blow, and Fantasy Premier League managers now have just four Gameweeks left to make their mark.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The loss of Kidal represents a significant blow to Russia’s credibility in Mali, where the military junta has relied on mercenaries to combat Islamic extremism.—
Wilson Mcmakin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The first and most obvious change is her bangs.—
Vicky Vera,
Glamour,
26 Apr. 2026
-
They and others were seated at the front of the ballroom when video captured what sounded like at least five loud bangs before armed officers rushed in and hauled the president, first lady, Vice President JD Vance and others away while other attendees ducked down under tables.—
Garrett Haake,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And Silva hit a home run, her third, after attempting a bunt on the previous pitch.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
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The Seattle Seahawks have already hit three of their biggest needs in the 2026 NFL Draft, taking Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price on Thursday night in Round 1 and TCU safety Bud Clark and Arkansas cornerback Julian Neal in the second and third rounds on Friday.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Famously, a former RSS member assassinated one of the most famous Indians in history, Mohandas Gandhi, in 1948.—
Rob Schmitz,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the archconservative patriarch of modern Japanese politics who was assassinated in 2022, was the last sitting premier to pay respects at the shrine in-person.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Then their penalty kill was beaten for the first time in 10 tries when MacKinnon lined home a slap shot in from the center of the left circle 16 seconds after Kings defenseman Brian Dumoulin was sent off for interference.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Block collisions need to be balanced with efficient play-arounds to create more tackle tries.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hell, everyone still thinks the Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars slap was staged.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Jeanine Pirro, the DC US Attorney leading the probe, has also repeatedly doubled-down on her pursuit, despite a running series of mishaps and judicial slap-downs.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Clad in all black, James and the band cracked wise onstage with a brash, swashbuckling attitude, led constant clap-alongs, and took multiple sojourns into the crowd — and that was just during the first song.—
Daniel Kohn,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
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His assessment of the project is correct in the sense that while the tracks all carry his signature take on the stomp-clap beat structure, the melodic content is vast and varied.—
Chris Barilla,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whack. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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