double whammies

plural of double whammy
as in blows
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for double whammies
Noun
  • There are really no blows to be given him but defensive ones.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Along the way, Chrissy comes to blows with Klara, but then learns the robot is the best thing in her daughter’s life.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Jane Williams, executive director of California Communities Against Toxics, said Southern California has been rocked by numerous chemical disasters, including the Lineage warehouse fire and the Garden Grove hazardous materials emergency.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Kimmel had been tapped to serve as master of ceremonies at the fundraiser for the home-sharing behemoth’s nonprofit, which was created in 2020 to provide free temporary housing to people displaced by disasters and other crises.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 29 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • With that in mind, here’s a look at three new books shaped by catastrophes large and small.
    — Lisa Henricksson, Air Mail, 17 Oct. 2026
  • This palette also has a latch tab that locks the lid in place, avoiding any potential catastrophes.
    — ElleAnna Revell, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • By century’s end, however, the specter of famine had largely receded (aside from tragedies of war and misgovernment, no small caveat).
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Investigators are still working to determine how Boahene was dragged by the train and ways to prevent similar tragedies.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Double whammies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double%20whammies. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster