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 idea to host a triple whammy of a book signing fete came while the pals were holidaying in Sicily this summer.
—
Freya Drohan, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2024
Wealthy world travelers ready to roster their homes with top tier staff are hitting the same speed bump, with a triple whammy of factors creating the crisis.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2024
The big picture: The triple whammy of Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, and the Boeing strike are likely to distort economic data in the coming weeks, making the usual indicators of the economy's health more difficult to dissect.
—Neil Irwin, Axios, 11 Oct. 2024
Watson’s poor performance is something of a triple whammy for Cleveland: The team is losing games, his contract is onerous, and former Browns quarterbacks are thriving with other teams.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whammy 
Freya Drohan, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2024
Wealthy world travelers ready to roster their homes with top tier staff are hitting the same speed bump, with a triple whammy of factors creating the crisis.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2024
The big picture: The triple whammy of Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, and the Boeing strike are likely to distort economic data in the coming weeks, making the usual indicators of the economy's health more difficult to dissect.
—Neil Irwin, Axios, 11 Oct. 2024
Watson’s poor performance is something of a triple whammy for Cleveland: The team is losing games, his contract is onerous, and former Browns quarterbacks are thriving with other teams.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whammy
Noun
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In that two-year spell with Slegers as head coach, Rosengard won back-to-back league titles.—
Art de Roché,
The Athletic,
17 Jan. 2025
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David Moyes’ Everton side suffered a 1-0 defeat at home against Aston Villa in his first game in charge of his second spell at the club, and the reasons for the defeat were not unfamiliar.—
James Nalton,
Forbes,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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And anyone who believed in curses was gaining some evidence.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
19 Jan. 2025
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Cubs fan sabotages his own team and extends the most infamous curse in MLB history During Game 6 of the 2003 National League Division vs. the then-Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs fan Steve Bartman reached out and grabbed a ball that could have been caught.—
Jackson Thompson,
Fox News,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Knocking on wood: This age-old superstition is believed to prevent bad luck or jinxes.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American-Statesman,
13 Sep. 2024
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In the interview area afterwards, amid the high jinx, there was sincerity; glimpses of football’s soul.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
The Athletic,
15 Apr. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Whammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whammy. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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