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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • The defending division champion Mariners stopped a four-game losing streak and won for the first time in six tries at the home of the Rangers this season.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
  • The demo kept loading or didn’t work at all across multiple tries.
    — Prakhar Khanna, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of tries
Noun
  • After the dustups, the offense went from taking blows from the defense to delivering some of its own.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026
  • During the less than a minute-long elevator ride, the duo trading blows, according to the video.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
Definition of blows
Noun
  • 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
  • There were the polite claps after good attacks by the Swiss, sarcastic whistles by the Qatari fans after their team again failed to mount a threat.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 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
  • Craig completed six of his seven pass attempts, including throwing back-to-back touchdowns to Dozie Ezukanma on a slant and a jump ball score to tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton on a fade route in the end zone.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026
  • Authorities that same month arrested 60 people for spreading false information online to encourage a mass crossing, and blocked more than 11,300 individual attempts in a single month.
    — Frank Ahrens, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of attempts
Noun
  • Agents yelled from every direction, and the thumps of a news helicopter overhead were deafening.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
  • You’ll be thrown around in your seat, which moves in sync with the action, along with thumps in the back, splashes of water, blasts of air, smoke, and flashes of light.
    — Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
Definition of thumps
Noun
  • Saldaña was draped in a black V-neck gown; Kidman sported effortlessly chic bangs and a shimmering Art Deco–esque top.
    — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 30 July 2026
  • At the film’s Shanghai premiere, her short, curly cut was replaced with long, straight locks and choppy baby bangs.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 30 July 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 4 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of whacks for Spanish Speakers

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