whacking 1 of 3

adjective

ˈ(h)wa-kiŋ How to pronounce whacking (audio)
Definition of whackingnext
as in giant
unusually large harvested a whacking number of zucchini from the garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

whacking

2 of 3

adverb

as in extremely
to a great degree the clown wore a whacking big pair of shoes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

whacking

3 of 3

verb

present participle of whack
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

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 whacking
Verb
There are frightening stories of swordfish charging boats, and even spearing their transoms and whacking propellers. — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026 Yes, there were moments of humor, such as getting magic potions around the campfire at the end of each stage by whacking helpless little elves, but most of it was played straight, to great effect. — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 As the movie shows, local foodies would swarm the ocean whenever striped bass appeared, reeling them in with pieces of Wonder Bread and then whacking them on the head. — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 7 Aug. 2026 Larry Hayes, 86, and Bill Moniz, 79, hit the tennis courts in Mountain View three to four times a week — whacking balls across the net as teammates for one to three hours a week. — Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 27 May 2026 And the crowd clearly expected that pucks whacking the nets would be at a premium in this series, too. — ABC News, 4 May 2026 But, really, just being on the island feels like meditative wellness, including taking a golf club and a biodegradable ball from the island shop and whacking it into the sea. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026 Ultimately, the Yanks would spend 2 hours and 45 minutes on the court, meaning 2023 champion Tiafoe, who had prevailed in two previous marathons, wound up whacking balls for eight-plus hours in his ultimately futile bid for reach a fourth consecutive final here. — Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026 And Matt was whacking them with his stick. — Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whacking
  1. giant
  2. extremely
  3. smacking
  4. murdering
  5. huge
  6. damn
  7. slapping
  8. assassinating
Adjective
  • What’s more, engineers will also be able to use the giant crane in the growing offshore wind industry.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The filming site was an empty office building in Fremont, California, and the explosion was real; pyrotechnician Tom Fisher used hundreds of gallons of gas to create that giant fireball.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of giant
Adverb
  • This pre-seasoned, ¼ inch thick steel heat extremely evenly with minimal disparity between the center and edges.
    — Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Search for jet quenching Previous experiments suggest that a millionth of a second after the Big Bang, even as temperatures remained extremely high, matter did not behave like gas but instead like liquid with very low viscosity.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of extremely
Verb
  • Carrington was ejected from the game in the first half after smacking Cunningham across the face during Cunningham's layup attempt.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Catcher Daniel Susac followed up Wednesday’s two-home-run game by smacking a two-run shot, and the Giants bullpen didn’t break down while protecting a 4-1 victory.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of smacking
Verb
  • Closing arguments took place in the Lindsay Clancy case Thursday, bringing an end to a weekslong trial in which jurors will now determine whether the Massachusetts mother is criminally responsible for murdering her three young children.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Earlier this year, two Blythe Street members were convicted of murdering a senior member of their gang whom Romo had deemed a liability.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of murdering
Adjective
  • Golden Tempo, meanwhile, assumed his position near the back of the field as his deep closing style has delivered huge glory in the past.
    — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • At least 788 people have been killed in Nepal following huge torrents along the Nepal-China border on Wednesday, according to local police.
    — Bhadra Sharma, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of huge
Adverb
  • This guy’s a good football player, damn good football player, massive, really strong with his hands.
    — Jon Machota, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • This sucker is super small and lightweight, clips on in a second, and feels damn close to the original inputs.
    — David Pierce, The Verge, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of damn
Verb
  • At the weigh-ins and face-off for the IBF heavyweight championship fight, Itauma shoved Hrgovic off the stage and the latter retaliated by slapping the former's face.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Already, Skubal’s joining in on pregame handshake lines and slapping the dugout railing in time to Roki Sasaki’s warm-up music.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of slapping
Verb
  • Utah prosecutors are turning up the heat on Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, arguing that the evidence against him easily meets the standard required to send the case to trial.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
  • Ferrell instead starred as the villainous mogul Jacobim Mugatu, who attempts to brainwash Derek into assassinating the prime minister of Malaysia.
    — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
Definition of assassinating

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Cite this Entry

“Whacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whacking. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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