whack-a-mole
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
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.
Raiding scam compounds has been described as playing whack-a-mole.
From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2026
The work often feels like a game of whack-a-mole.
From Barron's ● Apr. 2, 2026
It is a game of whack-a-mole that the authorities are struggling to win.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026
It is migrating up some of the decaying wells that litter the Permian, forcing companies and regulators to play a protracted—and expensive—game of whack-a-mole.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
As Annabeth got to her feet, Tyson started smashing at the monster heads with his fists so fast it reminded me of the whack-a-mole game at the arcade.
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
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.
