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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whammy
The truth is, luck had nothing to do with it.
Larson, played here by Paul Walter Hauser, had memorized the five patterns of seemingly random blinking lights on the Big Board, successfully avoided whammies, and took CBS for an unprecedented sum.
—
Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
Tariffs can have a triple whammy, adding to worries about inflation, growth and denting confidence.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
The rest of the portfolio Apple : The iPhone maker is experiencing a triple whammy of bad news.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025
Hellraiser - February 1 The 1987 horror classic forms part of a quadruple whammy as four Hellraiser movies arrive on Shudder on February 1.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whammy
Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
Tariffs can have a triple whammy, adding to worries about inflation, growth and denting confidence.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
The rest of the portfolio Apple : The iPhone maker is experiencing a triple whammy of bad news.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025
Hellraiser - February 1 The 1987 horror classic forms part of a quadruple whammy as four Hellraiser movies arrive on Shudder on February 1.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whammy
Noun
-
This is what Jesse, Scott, Jax Taylor, and all the rest of the people who are about to fall under the spell of a man who sports an unironic goatee fail to understand.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
25 June 2025
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And the record-breaking hot spell is going to continue.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Ancient 'pharaoh's curse' fungus shows promise in killing cancer cells.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2025
-
The song breaks Booth's life-defining generational curse.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Still, as tempting as this might be for some of you, please avoid the temptation to label his coming season as a sophomore jinx if his team doesn't advance deep into the playoffs.—
Geoffrey Knox,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
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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 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Whammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whammy. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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