whacks 1 of 2

noun

plural of whack
1
as in tries
an effort to do or accomplish something took a whack at solving the math problem

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2
as in blows
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument gave the wasp's nest a good whack with the bat

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3
as in claps
a loud explosive sound the whack echoed around the field

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whacks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of whack
1
as in slaps
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

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2
as in assassinates
slang to put to death deliberately without a second thought the mob boss had them whacked

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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 whacks
Noun
Lizzie Borden’s father and stepmother were found slain by 29 (or 30) whacks in Fall River, Massachusetts. — USA Today, 21 July 2026 In the opening minute alone, Murphy shot just wide off a turnover and Josefin Bouveng set up Madison Kaiser for a couple of whacks from the edge of the blue paint that were both stopped. — Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 14 Mar. 2026 The star then grabbed a bat and took several whacks at a colorful piñata shaped like a cascaron. — René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Feb. 2026 Deeper down the road the slap of the drooping tropical tree branches against the windshield are like punishing whacks to the face for trying to force a metaphor. — Matt Negrin, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025 Brush off hair and debris from the surface, then give it a few whacks against the inside of the trash can to knock out some of the dust. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
With runners on the corners, Martinez whacks a two-run, RBI double to tie it at five. — Zoe Collins Rath, Austin American Statesman, 27 Mar. 2026 Then little Holly Wheeler and her 10-year-old friends, including the Season 5 favorite Derek (Jake Connelly), all swarm into the basement and take over the D&D table in a passing of the torch that basically whacks the audience over our collective heads. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025 Fed up with Nicky’s dramatics, Lester uses his elevator crank and whacks the former hard in the back of his neck. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025 Fanning flatlines when left to be a solo show as Bertino whacks her around like a pinball, hitting big, loud scares that seem to keep resetting. — J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whacks
  1. tries
  2. blows
  3. claps
  4. slaps
  5. assassinates
  6. attempts
  7. thumps
  8. bangs
Noun
  • Loop made a 42-yard attempt later in the game and was 3-for-3 on extra-point tries.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The Australians twice took an early lead via tries from Josh Nasser and Tupou but Japan rallied both times.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of tries
Noun
  • Former boxer Prichard Colón has died at age 33, 11 years after sustaining life-altering blows to the head during the only defeat of his professional career.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Some encouraging blows for common sense were struck by primary voters to our north on Tuesday, on both sides of the aisle.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of blows
Noun
  • The Golf Channel would always be playing in the background; the soft claps were the soundtrack to our slow Saturdays.
    — Ivy Odom, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026
  • One of the moments in the musical that caused the most laughter and claps from the audience was the final song, which mocks the idea of using violence as a form of protest rather than joining a movement or focusing on policy.
    — Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2026
Definition of claps
Verb
  • Helmut Haller, West Germany vs England, 1966 Ray Wilson misjudges his headed clearance, Haller gathers it on the edge of the box and, just before Bobby Moore can close him down, slaps a right-footed shot into the far corner.
    — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Wilhelm enters the room, removes most of his clothing and gets into bed with her, slaps her, pushes her away and then caresses her face and cradles her.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Definition of slaps
Verb
  • That assassinates Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparking retaliatory attacks by Iran across the Middle East.
    — Jill Lawrence, Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Soleimani assassination | Trump orders a drone strike in Iraq that assassinates Qasem Soleimani, an influential Iranian military commander.
    — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
Definition of assassinates
Noun
  • Webb and Payton will lament converting only 5-of-14 attempts on third down, but the Broncos generally appeared in sync operationally.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Mangione’s lawyers previously fended off the government’s attempts to seek the death penalty.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of attempts
Noun
  • The lower-vocal harmony struggles to stand out any time the deeper bass thumps.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Agents yelled from every direction, and the thumps of a news helicopter overhead were deafening.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
Definition of thumps
Noun
  • Flexible, wispy bangs that don’t force you to commit to daily styling.
    — Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Chainlink necklaces, lace headpieces and even fringe bangs become a form of armor.
    — Elisa Wouk Almino Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of bangs

Browse Nearby Words

whacking
whacks
whale
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Cite this Entry

“Whacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whacks. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of whacks for Spanish Speakers

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