1
as in spell
a spoken word or set of words believed to have magic power
if you tell anyone about this, I swear I'll put the whammy on you
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2
as in curse
something that brings bad luck
put the whammy on herself by publicly predicting that she would win the tennis tournament
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Recent Examples of whammy
The economy is not doing well under the triple whammy of unnecessary and unpredictable government intervention, COVID-19 aftereffects, and declining rates of investment, both domestic and foreign.
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Odd Arne Westad, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2023
This triple whammy made for less of an incentive to build out full protections.
—Jonathan Fischbein, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing — even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy!
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2023
But then she got socked with a triple whammy of disasters.
—Dave Lieber, Dallas News, 17 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for whammy 
Odd Arne Westad, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2023
This triple whammy made for less of an incentive to build out full protections.
—Jonathan Fischbein, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Let there be no doubt I was stoked about the whole thing — even bought a new guitar with the essential whammy!
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2023
But then she got socked with a triple whammy of disasters.
—Dave Lieber, Dallas News, 17 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for whammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whammy
Noun
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My pulse kept racing; my mouth went dry and prickly; dizzy spells came on.George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
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The idea was that the ballad is a spell that opens the road, but, really, the ballad is the thing that motivated Billy’s subconscious to create the spell that creates the road.Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Regardless of whether one sees it as a triumph or a curse, there is no reason to expect that low fertility will be reversed in any major way.Vegard Skirbekk, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024
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Just one episode after breaking her family’s curse, Alice lies dead on the ground, and the witches—and especially Teen—are not happy.Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Kodai Senga – Signed out of Japanese ball for five years and $75 million, this right-hander fell victim to the sophomore jinx, missing almost all of the 2024 campaign with various injuries.Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024
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Illinois Secretary of State Charles Carpentier was honored for being elected to a third term — breaking the two-term jinx that previously prevailed for the post.Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near whammy
Cite this Entry
“Whammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whammy. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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