whack

1 of 2

verb

whacked; whacking; whacks

transitive verb

1
a
: to strike with a smart or resounding blow
whack the ball
b
: to cut with or as if with a whack : chop
2
chiefly British : to get the better of : defeat
3
slang : murder, kill

intransitive verb

: to strike a smart or resounding blow
whacker noun

whack

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a smart or resounding blow
also : the sound of or as if of such a blow
b
: a critical attack
2
3
4
a
: an opportunity or attempt to do something
take a whack at it
b
: a single action or occasion
borrowed $50 all at one whack
Phrases
out of whack
1
: out of proper order or shape
threw his knee out of whack
2
: not in accord
feeling out of whack with her contemporariesS. E. Rubin

Examples of whack in a Sentence

Verb She whacked the piñata with a stick. The old man lifted his cane and whacked the mugger on the head. They were whacking through the jungle with their machetes. He got whacked by mobsters. Noun The pile of books hit the floor with a whack. took a whack at solving the math problem
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Right now, Trump and Congress could whack Medicaid and give Newsom a solid rationale for cutting way back on healthcare for undocumented Californians. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2025 Alas, the thick-headed goon that Vito sends to whack Frank in the lobby of his lux Manhattan apartment building (a swollen and unrecognizable Cosmo Jarvis as the aptly named Vincent Gigante) fails to follow through with a double-tap, and Frank survives with a scratch to the head. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2025
Noun
The full moon on the same day shines a light on your finances, but instead of stressing over what gets revealed, use this lunar clarity to bring some balance to whatever feels out of whack in your bank account. Nina Kahn, StyleCaster, 24 Mar. 2025 Your circadian rhythm — the cycle that regulates sleep, hormone release and temperature — might be out of whack. Andrew Torgan, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for whack

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably imitative of the sound of a blow

First Known Use

Verb

1719, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of whack was in 1719

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whack. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

whack

1 of 2 verb
ˈhwak How to pronounce whack (audio)
ˈwak
: to hit or cut with a hard noisy blow
whacked the ball into left field
whacker noun

whack

2 of 2 noun
1
: a hard noisy blow
also : its sound
2
: try entry 2, attempt
take a whack at it

More from Merriam-Webster on whack

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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