double whammy
Americannoun
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two devastating problems, setbacks, or catastrophes.
The double whammy of insomnia and sleep apnea can make a night's rest almost impossible.
-
any doubled quantity or set of two.
Visiting the sandwich shop and the ice cream shop makes a delightful savory-sweet double whammy for lunch.
Etymology
Origin of double whammy
First recorded in 1935–40
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The double whammy of higher tariffs and soaring oil prices, however, warrants greater vigilance by the Fed, according to Waller.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026
That could mean a double whammy for children’s birthday parties.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026
They scored twice in four minutes, a double whammy that put them in front.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
Garganera noted that the disaster was a "sad, double whammy" for the city, as the facility was the "lone service provider" for Cebu and adjacent communities.
From Barron's • Jan. 10, 2026
But misdigestion also carries with it a double whammy; fermenting and/or putrefying foods immediately interfere with the functioning of another vital organ--the large intestine--and cause constipation.
From How and When to Be Your Own Doctor by Solomon, Steve
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
