wham 1 of 2

noun

ˈ(h)wam How to pronounce wham (audio)
Definition of whamnext
as in thud
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument gave the TV a good wham with her fist, and suddenly the picture came back on

Synonyms & Similar Words

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wham

2 of 2

verb

as in to smack

Related Words

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 wham
Noun
But the movie, for all its retrograde politics and wham-bam machismo, can also be slick, silly fun — a giddy exercise in freewheeling nihilism, played to the hilt. — Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2020 Bryan Ferry, Brian Eno and company made their wham-bam-glam debut on ‘Roxy Music’ 50 years ago. — Jill Krajewski, SPIN, 8 June 2022 Chabon’s magnum opus is a gloriously fun, wham-pow novel of heroes, friendship, magic, the Golden Age of Comics, and sure, okay, Hitler. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2020 There’s an understood language of action that marries really close-up, sharp inserts, the propulsion of rapid editing, wham-bam sound effects, and visual carnage to create excitement. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 16 Aug. 2025 Easy drinking 100% Merlot with 14% alcohol with flavors that include dark licorice, cinnamon and nutmeg and a wham of a finish. — Tom Mullen, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025 Perhaps my overall disappointment stems from this pilot stiffness, but the more likely culprit is the standard brashness of American reality television, which is less cinema vérité and more wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am. — Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Feb. 2020 The movie comes at you with a quick, wham-bam style that feels like a nod to the source material, a DC Vertigo comic-book series by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2019 TreVeyon Henderson covered 12 yards on a wham run, then 18 more on a misdirection toss where fullback Jack Westover and right guard Mike Onwenu presented false keys that indicated an inside run while Henderson zipped outside. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
Goalscorer Asamoah Gyan took the resulting penalty, only to wham it off the top of the bar. — SI.com, 21 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wham
  1. thud
  2. smack
  3. blow
  4. hit
  5. thump
  6. whack
  7. slap
  8. box
Noun
  • Regardless of motive, the proposals that have come out of MLB’s New York headquarters have been vast and aggressive, and have landed with a thud in both clubhouses around the league, and with people who cover the sport for a living.
    — Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • The song stands on its own, but would have been more effective if the preceding songs were more 2001 than 2000 AD, and if producer Dan Lancaster had not mixed it so densely that cosmic chaos sounds like a single sustaining thud.
    — Liam Inscoe-Jones, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026
Definition of thud
Verb
  • Moniak smacked a 424-foot homer to right-center with one down in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
  • Kara and Ruthye figure out the Brigands are trafficking young women for dastardly purposes, giving them yet another reason to smack some dudes around.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 24 June 2026
Definition of smack
Noun
  • Vingegaard’s victory at the Giro d’Italia in May, allied with Wout Van Aert’s cathartic win at Paris-Roubaix, has delivered two key objectives but the surprise departure of head of racing Grischa Niermann to Lidl-Trek was a blow.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Hers is a voice that ought to have a lifetime’s staying power, bolstered by a lyrical and musical sensibility that provide everything her instrument needs to deliver a happy succession of knockout blows.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 3 July 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Against Cardinals’ starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore, the Braves mustered just one hit and one run through five innings of an eventual 5-3 loss.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
  • Thomas had hit a leadoff double, but Michael Massey, Salvador Perez and John Rave failed to drive him in.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
Definition of hit
Noun
  • That next phase will focus on measuring the shockwaves generated by the X-59 in flight, along with evaluating the sonic thump impact on the ground.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 29 June 2026
  • Not long after, Jamison’s parents reported hearing a loud thump, as though someone had fallen, according to prosecutors.
    — Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026
Definition of thump
Verb
  • Pop, a Romanian, was rolling through another service game when Bobker whacked an easy backhand beyond the baseline.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • The experience was not entirely dissimilar to getting whacked in the skull.
    — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Definition of whack
Noun
  • DeTiger also discusses working with Caroline Polachek, Chromeo and Stargate, the viral videos that launched her career, the influence of Rush’s Geddy Lee and developing her signature slap bass style.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 30 June 2026
  • Morgan responded with a slap and brush off of the voodoo.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2026
Definition of slap
Verb
  • Instead of scoring points, Richard was more focused on making the right defensive rotation, making passes and boxing out.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
  • On Tuesday morning, a dozen volunteers joined Montano on the street outside of her restaurant, packing and boxing an influx of supplies — from sanitary supplies to nonperishable foods — dropped off by passing vehicles.
    — Melody Xu, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of box

Browse Nearby Words

whaling
wham
whammed
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Cite this Entry

“Wham.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wham. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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