whiplash
noun
whip·lash
ˈ(h)wip-ˌlash 
1
: the lash of a whip
2
: something resembling a blow from a whip
the whiplash of fear—
R. S. Banay
R. S. Banay3
: injury resulting from a sudden sharp whipping movement of the neck and head (as of a person in a vehicle that is struck from the rear by another vehicle)
Examples of whiplash in a Sentence
He got whiplash when his car was rear-ended.
Recent Examples on the Web
The whiplash of Trump-era tariff threats makes these impacts more significant.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Wall Street was already coming off a volatile, negative week digesting the potential impact of new U.S. tariffs — and mounting whiplash from how President Trump has implemented, and then delayed, some of them.
—Maria Aspan, NPR, 10 Mar. 2025
Few films have ever induced such immense tonal whiplash while exhibiting such tight formal control over their transformations.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025
Fans of The Righteous Gemstones tuning in to the HBO comedy’s fourth and final season premiere Sunday likely suffered a major case of whiplash.
—Michael Ausiello, TVLine, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whiplash
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Megan Poinski, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Wall Street was already coming off a volatile, negative week digesting the potential impact of new U.S. tariffs — and mounting whiplash from how President Trump has implemented, and then delayed, some of them.
—Maria Aspan, NPR, 10 Mar. 2025
Few films have ever induced such immense tonal whiplash while exhibiting such tight formal control over their transformations.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025
Fans of The Righteous Gemstones tuning in to the HBO comedy’s fourth and final season premiere Sunday likely suffered a major case of whiplash.
—Michael Ausiello, TVLine, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whiplash
Cite this Entry
“Whiplash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whiplash. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whiplash
noun
whip·lash
-ˌlash
1
: the lash of a whip
2
: injury resulting from a sudden sharp jerking movement of the head and neck (as of a person in a car that is struck from behind by another car)
Medical Definition
whiplash
noun
whip·lash
ˈhwip-ˌlash, ˈwip-
: injury resulting from a sudden sharp whipping movement of the neck and head (as of a person in a vehicle that is struck head-on or from the rear by another vehicle)
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