as in thud
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the TV a good wham with her fist, and suddenly the picture came back on
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to smack
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wham
SI.com, 21 June 2019
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 16 Aug. 2025
Easy drinking 100% Merlot with 14% alcohol with flavors that include dark licorice, cinnamon and nutmeg and a wham of a finish.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Bryan Ferry, Brian Eno and company made their wham-bam-glam debut on ‘Roxy Music’ 50 years ago.
—Jill Krajewski, SPIN, 8 June 2022
Perhaps my overall disappointment stems from this pilot stiffness, but the more likely culprit is the standard brashness of American reality television, which is less cinema vérité and more wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am.
—Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Feb. 2020
But the movie, for all its retrograde politics and wham-bam machismo, can also be slick, silly fun — a giddy exercise in freewheeling nihilism, played to the hilt.
—Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2020
The movie comes at you with a quick, wham-bam style that feels like a nod to the source material, a DC Vertigo comic-book series by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2019
Noun
Goalscorer Asamoah Gyan took the resulting penalty, only to wham it off the top of the bar.
—SI.com, 21 June 2019
Verb
There’s an understood language of action that marries really close-up, sharp inserts, the propulsion of rapid editing, wham-bam sound effects, and visual carnage to create excitement.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 16 Aug. 2025
Easy drinking 100% Merlot with 14% alcohol with flavors that include dark licorice, cinnamon and nutmeg and a wham of a finish.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Bryan Ferry, Brian Eno and company made their wham-bam-glam debut on ‘Roxy Music’ 50 years ago.
—Jill Krajewski, SPIN, 8 June 2022
Perhaps my overall disappointment stems from this pilot stiffness, but the more likely culprit is the standard brashness of American reality television, which is less cinema vérité and more wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am.
—Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Feb. 2020
But the movie, for all its retrograde politics and wham-bam machismo, can also be slick, silly fun — a giddy exercise in freewheeling nihilism, played to the hilt.
—Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2020
The movie comes at you with a quick, wham-bam style that feels like a nod to the source material, a DC Vertigo comic-book series by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wham
Noun
-
The news of Lamar's killing fell on me with an aching thud.—
Trymaine Lee,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
-
There is then a loud thud, followed by silence.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The raw tuna got smacked with a Stop Sale.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
As of this publication, the final Conjuring movie starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren lands smack dab in the middle of the best and worst rated Conjuring Cinematic Universe films on Rotten Tomatoes.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Rodgers took four sacks and three other hits, including multiple heavy blows.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Councilman Edwin Peacock called the incident a blow to public trust and urged both Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) and police to reassess security measures.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
When the financial crisis hit in 2008, Mindy Fitzpatrick considered selling her family’s 6-acre wooded lot on Friendly Road.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Sticker shock, though, is expected to hit when consumers shop for 2026 model year cars and trucks as more of those vehicles arrive at dealer lots, according to Cox Automotive.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
And the thump, thump, thumping of her brother’s hands pounding a heavy bag.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
30 Aug. 2025
-
Collins brings some thump to the four spot at no cost after next season.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
As Wyatt goes in for the swing, her little sister, Bennett, runs behind her and nearly gets whacked by the club.—
Georgia Slater,
People.com,
25 Aug. 2025
-
Christian Walker has whacked a home run in all of them, including a tiebreaking two-run shot in the seventh inning Saturday night.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Touted as the second-highest fine ever levied by the board, many observers struggled to view it as anything but the gentlest of wrist slaps.—
DAVID AMSDEN,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
-
His attorney said the slap happened after he had already been hit several times and claimed that, in total, Tchervinski was hit in the head 28 times during the attack.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In a corner Reluctance to cut welfare spending and raise taxes, while promising big-ticket spending on the NHS, defense, infrastructure and education, means that Labour has boxed itself into a corner, Peel Hunt's Chief Economist Kallum Pickering told CNBC.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
-
You guys couldn’t even agree on the Animals box all those years.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wham.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wham. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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