double whammy

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.

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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 Heat waves after the hurricanes passed, when people had no electricity, often caused a double whammy in impacts, Dahl said. Ramon Padilla, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024 The devastating tornadoes that swept through Rolling Fork, Mississippi, in March 2023 were a double whammy for Andrea Williams, who was looking forward to celebrating her birthday that day. Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 2024 The flag was a double whammy — not only did Kansas City lose a first down, but the 10 yards also moved the team out of field goal range. Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 25 Dec. 2024 Not only did the shop lose most of its inventory, but the lack of traffic during the busiest tourist months was a double whammy, so Gibb's phone call was a lifeline for Rathbone. Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for double whammy 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double whammy
Noun
  • An Idaho Supreme Court ruling against the construction of a new location for Boise’s Interfaith Sanctuary came as a blow, said Executive Director Jodi Peterson-Stigers.
    Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 1 Feb. 2025
  • The terminations would be a major blow to the historic independence of the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency and would reflect Trump’s determination to bend the law enforcement and intelligence community to his will.
    Gqlshare, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • And the nation marked 39 years since the Challenger disaster.
    Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
  • In early January, the stage was set for a wildfire disaster in Los Angeles.
    Lauren Sommer, NPR, 29 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Our prayers are with the families, friends, neighbors and everyone affected by this tragedy.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 1 Feb. 2025
  • All those aboard the plane were killed in the tragedy.
    Rachel Wolf, Fox News, 1 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near double whammy

Cite this Entry

“Double whammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double%20whammy. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.

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