whiplash

[ hwip-lash, wip- ]

/ ˈʰwɪpˌlæʃ, ˈwɪp- /

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noun

the lash of a whip.

an abrupt snapping motion or change of direction resembling the lash of a whip.

Also whiplash injury. a neck injury caused by a sudden jerking backward, forward, or both, of the head: Whiplash resulted when their car was struck from behind.

Also called whiplash curve . a connected series of reverse curves of more or less elliptical form, used as a major design motif in the Art Nouveau style.

verb (used with object)

to beat, hit, throw, etc., with or as if with a whiplash.

to affect adversely, as by a sudden change: new taxes whiplashing corporate earnings.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of whiplash

1565–75; 1950–55 for def. 6; whip + lash¹

Words nearby whiplash

whipcord, whip-cracker, whip graft, whip hand, whip in, whiplash, whiplash injury, whipped, whipper-in, whippersnapper, whippet

How to use whiplash in a sentence

Just cause “prevents media workers from getting caught in the whiplash of a reactive response from a company to pressure from outside groups, or public reaction… about something that someone may post on social media,” she added.
Controversy around newsrooms’ social media policies emboldening the call for unionized media workplaces|Sara Guaglione|June 7, 2021|Digiday
With a postcard-perfect landscape carved by glaciers, pockmarked by freshwater lakes, studded with granite peaks, and flush with wildflowers, you’ll get whiplash trying to take it all in.
Perfect 72-Hour Backcountry Adventures|Shawnté Salabert|May 31, 2021|Outside Online
That we’re now meant to cheer her on is whiplash-inducing, and when a movie inspires whiplash, I tend to think it’s trying to do something beyond its most obvious surface-level pleasures.
Promising Young Woman’s explosive ending and Best Picture chances, explained|Emily VanDerWerff|April 16, 2021|Vox
So I feel like I’m justified in that, you’re going to see me falling and getting whiplash on my board, flying around.
Q & A with Tony Hawk: On pulling off his last Ollie 540, showing off mistakes and the truth about ‘Gleaming the Cube’|Geoff Edgers|April 11, 2021|Washington Post

The plot here makes whiplash turns, loop de loops and sudden reversals.
‘Who is Maud Dixon?’ In this inventive thriller, you’ll be turning the pages to find out|Maureen Corrigan|April 2, 2021|Washington Post
Teller will reteam with his Whiplash director Chazelle on La La Land, which starts shooting in the spring.
Miles Teller’s Movie Star Moment: From the Brink of Death to ‘Whiplash’|Marlow Stern|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Whiplash was shot in just 19 days and then edited in 10 weeks to make Sundance.
Miles Teller’s Movie Star Moment: From the Brink of Death to ‘Whiplash’|Marlow Stern|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We have Damien Chazelle at the beginning of his career with Whiplash.
Sony Pictures Classics’ Michael Barker and Tom Bernard on Woody Allen and the State of Indie Film|Richard Porton|May 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For Peggy, this season was all about professional success and romantic whiplash.
Where ‘Mad Men’ Left Off: A Primer for Season Seven|Amy Zimmerman|April 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Much of the action in Whiplash requires serious suspension of disbelief.
‘Whiplash’ Is Sundance’s Hottest Film, A Music-Themed Drama Starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons|Marlow Stern|January 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Peabody stared, and a streak of crimson leaped into his cheek as if a whiplash had been laid across it.
Where the Pavement Ends|John Russell
Anne would have infinitely preferred a whipping to this punishment under which her sensitive spirit quivered as from a whiplash.
Anne Of Green Gables|Lucy Maud Montgomery
Quick as a flash he dealt the other a blow on the cheek, an open-handed blow that stung like a whiplash.
The Trail of '98|Robert W. Service
No curses greeted them; no whiplash cut into them; no strong arm jerked them over the harness.
The Trail of '98|Robert W. Service
The heavy plaits of the whiplash curled round the legs of the trader, and he writhed.
A King's Comrade|Charles Whistler

British Dictionary definitions for whiplash

whiplash

/ (ˈwɪpˌlæʃ) /

noun

a quick lash or stroke of a whip or like that of a whip

med See whiplash injury

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012