double whammy

as in blow
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.

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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 double whammy Google’s Update Decision—Bad News For 50% Of Android Users And so a PDF attached to an SMS is a double whammy. Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 The double whammy this past season was that Embiid’s stats weren’t close to his elite per-game numbers from the previous season. Eric Wong, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025 The double whammy to these clubs meant significant operating losses for the Mets, Phillies and Giants, while most lower revenue clubs were cash-flow positive. Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 25 Mar. 2025 Knowing this, last week, Shein released a statement urging shoppers to get their orders in before the company is forced to raise its prices to account for the double whammy of a 145-percent duty burden and the loss of the de minimis exception. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for double whammy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for double whammy
Noun
  • If approved, the cuts would served a devastating blow to the U.N., which is already struggling as other governments also cut contributions.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
  • Her relationship may have been seen as the ideal outcome of inner work, so its collapse may have felt disappointing, like a blow to their healing process.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Noun
  • Similarly, the market-resilience work performed by a lab at the University of California, Davis, offers solutions to farmers and agricultural communities that are vulnerable to intensifying weather disasters.
    Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
  • Federal database that tracked costly weather disasters no longer being updated How to prepare for an earthquake disaster Huge earthquakes have long been an existential crisis for millions along the West Coast, as described in a 2022 USA TODAY article.
    Terry Collins, USA Today, 8 June 2025
Noun
  • The narrative moves between Joan’s ascent through the ranks, including a love story as explosive as a rocket launch, and a mid-decade disaster reminiscent of the Challenger tragedy.
    Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2025
  • Saar says the phrase refers to those seeking to export violence beyond the Middle East to places like America, making the D.C. shooting much more than a local tragedy.
    Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Double whammy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/double%20whammy. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.

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