as in blow
informal
a situation that is bad in two different ways; a situation in which two bad conditions exist at the same time or two bad things happen one after the other
With the cold weather and the high cost of heating fuel, homeowners were hit with a double whammy this winter.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 double whammy
And that's a double whammy for someone who's poor.
—
Fatma Tanis, NPR, 13 Dec. 2025
So that was like kind of a double whammy.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025
The reading brought a sigh of relief, easing concerns that the economy was facing a double whammy of a softening labor market with reaccelerating inflation.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
And farmers are suffering a double whammy because the costs of the inputs needed to grow those soybeans — fertilizer, seeds, potash, equipment — are rising, also because of tariffs.
—Patricia Lopez, Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for double whammy
Fatma Tanis, NPR, 13 Dec. 2025
So that was like kind of a double whammy.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025
The reading brought a sigh of relief, easing concerns that the economy was facing a double whammy of a softening labor market with reaccelerating inflation.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
And farmers are suffering a double whammy because the costs of the inputs needed to grow those soybeans — fertilizer, seeds, potash, equipment — are rising, also because of tariffs.
—Patricia Lopez, Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for double whammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double whammy
Noun
-
The pair of teams traded blows for the rest of regulation, with Gibbs-Lawhorn sinking the game-tying 3-point shot with 38 seconds left.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Its reversal is a massive blow to efforts to combat climate change.—
Josephine Rozzelle,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Another measure, House Bill 1645, would create state versions of FEMA programs as Mississippi officials prepare for reduced federal disaster support.—
ALEX ROZIER Mississippi Today,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The February 2021 freeze became one of the deadliest and costliest disasters in state history.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Houston Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The death happened four years after a previous tragedy near Northstar.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Worst mass shootings in Canada's history The attack on the village of Tumbler Ridge is among the worst shootings in the history of Canada, where such tragedies are relatively rare.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Double whammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double%20whammy. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
