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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whammy
Prolonged drought, an exceptionally dry winter and powerful Santa Ana winds set up a dangerous triple whammy of extreme conditions that have fueled several out-of-control wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
—
Denise Chow, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2025
For the Middle East’s oil exporters, COVID-19 has been a triple whammy.
—F. Gregory Gause Iii, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2020
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
See All Example Sentences for whammy
Denise Chow, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2025
For the Middle East’s oil exporters, COVID-19 has been a triple whammy.
—F. Gregory Gause Iii, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2020
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
See All Example Sentences for whammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whammy
Noun
-
The film failed to cast a spell on audiences with total takings of $87.3 million in its opening weekend, 13% less than forecast.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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Alas, the more likely scenario is that this plague will drag on and on: a runny nose, a sore throat, a lingering fever, a brief spell of feeling better that ends when your daughter tells you her ear hurts.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Then, Democrats have to be thinking about what happens if Republicans only have a mild case of the midterm curse.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
14 Mar. 2025
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Flubber can do anything, which is both a blessing and a curse for Professor Brainard.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This gave Mahomes the go ahead to change up his hairstyle without worrying about a potential jinx.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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And while some Kansas City fans (and McAfee) may be worried that a haircut could put a jinx on the team, #15 already had that worked out.—
Effie Orfanides,
Newsweek,
18 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whammy. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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