whipsaw
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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to cut with a whipsaw.
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to win two bets from (a person) at one turn or play, as at faro.
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to subject to two opposing forces at the same time.
The real-estate market has been whipsawed by high interest rates and unemployment.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
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to saw with a whipsaw
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to defeat in two ways at once
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have whipsawnperfect
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has whipsawnperfect 3rd person singular
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is whipsawingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been whipsawingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am whipsawingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been whipsawingperfect progressive
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are whipsawingprogressive
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whipsawingparticiple
-
whipsawssingular 3rd person
Past
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had whipsawnperfect
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were whipsawingprogressive plural
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had been whipsawingperfect progressive
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was whipsawingprogressive singular
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whipsawedsimple
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whipsawnparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of whipsaw
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.
“While this upside move is very welcome, the whipsaw of markets is certainly unsettling for investors.”
From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026
The market has been hit by whipsaw moves, underscoring how investors are struggling to price in the financial implications of the geopolitical shock.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was up 0.2%, with tech stock swings making the HS Tech index whipsaw.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026
In the near term, precious metals could see more volatile price action, with whipsaw moves likely to be driven by positioning and thin liquidity rather than a fundamental narrative, Sucden Financial writes in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 30, 2025
It took nice work to whipsaw lumber and keep it true to the line.
From A Trip to California in 1853 Recollections of a Gold Seeking Trip by Ox Train across the Plains and Mountains by an Old Illinois Pioneer by Bailey, Washington
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.
