WHACK Synonyms: 251 Similar and Opposite Words

whack 1 of 2

noun

Definition of whack

as in attempt

an effort to do or accomplish something took a whack at solving the math problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in blow

a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument gave the wasp's nest a good whack with the bat

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in bang

a loud explosive sound the whack echoed around the field

Synonyms & Similar Words

whack

2 of 2

verb

ˈ(h)wak

as in to hit

to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner whacked the vending machine to get the candy bar to fall

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to assassinate

slang to put to death deliberately without a second thought the mob boss had them whacked

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of whack

Noun

But the market naturally throws those allocations out of whack over time. — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026 Regarding the change of his arm angle, how much of it was deliberate versus being a product of mechanics getting out of whack? — Will Sammon, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Verb

In other places such as Libya and Somalia, Washington supported the national armies and local militias battling jihadi forces and engaged in whack-a-mole with jihadi leaders. — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026 There are frightening stories of swordfish charging boats, and even spearing their transoms and whacking propellers. — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for whack

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whack

Noun

Days before the execution attempt, Lee rejected the clemency request.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
Distributed by Hive Media Corp, the drama reconstructs the August 15, 1974 assassination attempt on President Park Chung-hee and stars Yu Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho as figures probing contradictions in the state’s official inquiry.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of attempt

Noun

For now, better wheat and barley crops in Canada, Australia and Argentina, along with good harvests in the Middle East and North Africa, are cushioning the blow.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026
Then, after weeks of sit-ins and marches, Dharmendra Pradhan, the education minister, stepped down, a rare blow to Modi’s government, and one that more established opposition parties had been unable to land.

— Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of blow

Verb

Residential real estate prices may hit a bottom in the third quarter of 2028, the report said.

— Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
For Fleabag and The Tourist producer Two Brothers, the show is the first hitting the international market since its parent, All3Media, was acquired by Banijay.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of hit

Verb

The 21-year-old Michigan State senior is also head of the local chapter of Turning Point, the group for young conservatives whose founder, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated last year.

— Jacqueline Ganun, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
On July 7, 2021, Moïse was assassinated inside his second-floor bedroom.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of assassinate

Noun

Although other states have moved forward with attempting to execute inmates a second time, in those cases, the first try had been halted before any drug actually began flowing.

— Kate Brumback, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
The Eagles failed to convert a single third down on 12 tries and have been outscored 31-0 in the second half of their last two games, both losses.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of try

Noun

The baby Fins were back to Earth, sweet mirage yielding to the slap of reality.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Hundreds of those grants were later reinstated when a federal judge ruled that the slap-dash nature of the terminations violated the Administrative Procedures Act, which regulates how agencies are supposed to change policies.

— Anil Oza, STAT, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of slap

Noun

Lightning can travel miles from a storm, and officials suggest waiting 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before heading back outdoors.

— Manuel Bojorquez, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
Fans did the New Day clap in anticipation for the popular former WWE stable, and Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods answered the bell, joining Swerve Strickland as the wildcard team.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of clap

Browse Nearby Words

wettish

whack

whacked

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Whack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whack. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of whack

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

deportment

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes