as in giant
unusually large
harvested a whacking number of zucchini from the garden
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in extremely
to a great degree
the clown wore a whacking big pair of shoes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in smacking
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 murdering
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 whacking
Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
And the crowd clearly expected that pucks whacking the nets would be at a premium in this series, too.
—ABC News, 4 May 2026
But, really, just being on the island feels like meditative wellness, including taking a golf club and a biodegradable ball from the island shop and whacking it into the sea.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Ultimately, the Yanks would spend 2 hours and 45 minutes on the court, meaning 2023 champion Tiafoe, who had prevailed in two previous marathons, wound up whacking balls for eight-plus hours in his ultimately futile bid for reach a fourth consecutive final here.
—Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026
And Matt was whacking them with his stick.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
His young nephew provided the entertainment, whacking a plastic ball around with a toy club on the lawn, replicating pro golf mannerisms a little too closely.
—Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2026
These plays are often brilliant, and even lesser variants are fun to watch, because piñata-whacking itself is a naughty thrill, a cathartic fantasy for anyone with a family and/or a secret.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Next thing, authorities told media outlets, a 63-year-old player allegedly punched an opponent and then used his pickleball paddle as a weapon, whacking a 70-year-old in the face.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
Larry Hayes, 86, and Bill Moniz, 79, hit the tennis courts in Mountain View three to four times a week — whacking balls across the net as teammates for one to three hours a week.
—Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
And the crowd clearly expected that pucks whacking the nets would be at a premium in this series, too.
—ABC News, 4 May 2026
But, really, just being on the island feels like meditative wellness, including taking a golf club and a biodegradable ball from the island shop and whacking it into the sea.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Ultimately, the Yanks would spend 2 hours and 45 minutes on the court, meaning 2023 champion Tiafoe, who had prevailed in two previous marathons, wound up whacking balls for eight-plus hours in his ultimately futile bid for reach a fourth consecutive final here.
—Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026
And Matt was whacking them with his stick.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
His young nephew provided the entertainment, whacking a plastic ball around with a toy club on the lawn, replicating pro golf mannerisms a little too closely.
—Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2026
These plays are often brilliant, and even lesser variants are fun to watch, because piñata-whacking itself is a naughty thrill, a cathartic fantasy for anyone with a family and/or a secret.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Next thing, authorities told media outlets, a 63-year-old player allegedly punched an opponent and then used his pickleball paddle as a weapon, whacking a 70-year-old in the face.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whacking
Adjective
-
The University of Kansas marching band played the Algerian national anthem and Lawrence artist Stan Herd created a giant flag of the North African nation, made out of organic materials, to display on the school grounds.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
-
Texas restaurants are a big winner from the FIFA World Cup, as visitors fill social media with dozens of photos of giant barbecue platters, tall frozen margaritas and anything from Buc-ees.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 June 2026
Adverb
-
Canada and Qatar drew their first matches, making this an extremely important opportunity for their hopes of advancing out of the group stage.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
-
All had extremely low omega-3 levels and at least one risk factor for dementia, such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure or cholesterol.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Deputies responded to a report of a driver smacking his car into a guardrail in front of The Bridge Restaurant before driving away, according to a sheriff’s office news release.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2026
-
As the match got away from her in the second set and the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd became increasingly hostile, Andreeva fully unraveled, smacking another ball towards the roof and asking members of her box to leave.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
In December 2025, Nick Reiner was arrested on suspicion of murdering his parents, beloved filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer/producer Michele Reiner.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
16 June 2026
-
Mangione is accused of stalking and murdering Brian Thompson, age 50, a health insurance executive and father of two, on a Manhattan street in 2024.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
That would deal a huge blow to a state that relies on its top 1% of earners for nearly half its personal income tax revenue.—
Sophie Austin,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
So my whole upbringing was hiding and carrying this huge weight and secret.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2026
Adverb
-
If Jenna didn't look so damn nice, then our age gap is not that much.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
-
Simply put, swimwear has gotten too damn expensive.—
Kaelin Dodge,
InStyle,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The deputy's response, seen on bodycam video slapping the suspect during her arrest, is under review, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
In the run-up to the elections, Russia upped pressure on its ally by slapping import bans on Armenian products, including fresh fruit, flowers and spirits.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Since the start of the war in 2022, Ukrainian military intelligence has claimed responsibility for assassinating several senior Russian officers, some of whom have appeared on a public list of Ukraine’s enemies.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
10 June 2026
-
Yes, assassinating their leaders might have played into that.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whacking. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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