as in giant
unusually large
harvested a whacking number of zucchini from the garden
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in extremely
to a great degree
the clown wore a whacking big pair of shoes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in smacking
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
2
as in murdering
slang
to put to death deliberately
without a second thought the mob boss had them whacked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whacking
Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Tien and Chang plan to be on the ground in Houston and out whacking balls come Monday.
—Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2026
His young nephew provided the entertainment, whacking a plastic ball around with a toy club on the lawn, replicating pro golf mannerisms a little too closely.
—Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2026
These plays are often brilliant, and even lesser variants are fun to watch, because piñata-whacking itself is a naughty thrill, a cathartic fantasy for anyone with a family and/or a secret.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Rio’s staunch griminess, dreaming of whacking his brother and wanting to cut his nephew’s tongue for snitching, drags Fxce out into the open sea.
—Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026
Next thing, authorities told media outlets, a 63-year-old player allegedly punched an opponent and then used his pickleball paddle as a weapon, whacking a 70-year-old in the face.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
The reptile reacts to being picked up by flicking its meaty tail back and forth, whacking a few of the deputies.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
The robot showcased exemplary skills with the bat, whacking the ball precisely in a rally of over 100 shots with human-like agility.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
Matt is carrying a stick and whacking flowers.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Tien and Chang plan to be on the ground in Houston and out whacking balls come Monday.
—Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2026
His young nephew provided the entertainment, whacking a plastic ball around with a toy club on the lawn, replicating pro golf mannerisms a little too closely.
—Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2026
These plays are often brilliant, and even lesser variants are fun to watch, because piñata-whacking itself is a naughty thrill, a cathartic fantasy for anyone with a family and/or a secret.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Rio’s staunch griminess, dreaming of whacking his brother and wanting to cut his nephew’s tongue for snitching, drags Fxce out into the open sea.
—Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026
Next thing, authorities told media outlets, a 63-year-old player allegedly punched an opponent and then used his pickleball paddle as a weapon, whacking a 70-year-old in the face.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
The reptile reacts to being picked up by flicking its meaty tail back and forth, whacking a few of the deputies.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
The robot showcased exemplary skills with the bat, whacking the ball precisely in a rally of over 100 shots with human-like agility.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whacking
Adjective
-
Primarily considered a test mission, Artemis II could represent a giant step toward NASA's goal of returning astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo missions came to an end in 1972.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Over the past two years, restaurant and takeout costs have climbed at a faster pace than grocery channels, according to consulting giant McKinsey.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
That can be attributed to the fact that Rolex models were already highly valued in 2018 and were also in extremely high demand during the pandemic.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Almost all natural bodies of water bear fish life, with the exception of very hot thermal ponds and extremely salt-alkaline lakes, such as the Dead Sea in Asia and the Great Salt Lake in North America.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In Los Angeles, Jonathon Redondo-Rosales was charged with assault for smacking an agent with a hat after a car struck him.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
But a leadoff walk in the top of the 9th allowed Eugenio Suárez to knock in what would prove to be the winning run, smacking a double to left center field and scoring pinch runner Javier Sonoja.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
What happened Israel’s parliament on Monday gave final approval to legislation that makes death by hanging the default punishment for West Bank Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis.—
Peter Weber,
TheWeek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Israel’s parliament approved death penalty by hanging for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, making capital punishment the default sentence in military courts.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
There are some really great ones on the market these days, a huge advancement past the egg crate toppers our parents used.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Nola said he was unfazed by taking the mound with a huge lead.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
These men in sports who know damn well a woman could not compete are staying silent.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Tracking and Uni do not want to call the sequel yet as a slam-dunk $200M+ 5-day opening, but the forecasts look pretty damn good for Part 2.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Airlines across the region, like Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific are slapping hefty fuel surcharges on flights; Vietnam and the Philippines are even weighing whether to ground planes.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
But every so often there comes a day that is so different—so unusual—so spectacular that its happening can only be chalked up to old-fashioned, knee-slapping good luck.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Attorneys for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative icon Charlie Kirk, have revealed who prosecutors intend to call to the stand and also asked the court to delay the preliminary hearing.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Hezbollah, for the longest time, was strong-arming other parties, and they are accused of assassinating a former Prime Minister.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whacking. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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