whup

verb

ˈ(h)wu̇p How to pronounce whup (audio)
Definition of whupnext
1
as in to whip
to defeat by a large margin in the summer box office sweepstakes, most of the Hollywood blockbusters got whupped by a small indie movie with no stars

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly a boxer whupping a badly outmatched opponent

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of whup As a metro-area duo, though, Johnson and Fisher would whup any bad-owner tag team from any other city. — Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Nov. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whup
  1. whip
  2. lick
  3. overcome
  4. pound
  5. beat
  6. hide
  7. bury
  8. slap
Verb
  • Now imagine whipping your phone out after work, telling the world about it, and landing a brand deal worth $10K or more.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Now imagine the same hot and dry conditions, but with the Santa Anas whipping at 40 miles an hour.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of whip
Verb
  • Popo would lick her cone ever so gracefully, never dripping or messing up the lining of her magenta lipstick.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Teams have to be licking their chops after seeing what Tampa Bay did to Dallas last Thursday night, especially considering the defense (or lack thereof) that the Cowboys have shown through five weeks.
    — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • For now, the study identifies a previously underappreciated part of the immune system that could help overcome one of SCLC’s most persistent defenses.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But Gordon has emerged as Miami’s clear lead back, capable of overcoming a poor situation.
    — Dalton Del Don, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of overcome
Verb
  • When Louise would remember the show decades later, the audience was always so electric that the room exploded into stamping feet and pounding fists.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Ukraine briefly halted such attacks, but has since resumed them — while Russia never stopped pounding Ukraine’s energy plants and cities.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of pound
Verb
  • For founders sitting atop a mountain of stock, that beats selling shares, paying tax, and then giving away the cash.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The defense has exceeded expectations and continues to cement itself as a top-20, maybe even a top-15 defense, while the offense remains a disappointment, even after beating the Bears (4-2, 2-1).
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of beat
Verb
  • Ambarchi is the director who makes occasional cameos, hiding with his guitar in the shadows until stepping forward only when necessary.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of hide
Verb
  • Their deaths had been concealed, and their remains buried on site.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Florida woman accused of killing her boyfriend and burying him in a shallow grave was found guilty of his murder.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of bury
Verb
  • Antetokounmpo wasted no time in starting to rave about the Heat culture, a phrase that has become a lightning rod for criticism from talking heads around the NBA — especially after the franchise slapped the word across shirts and jerseys.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Less than three months after that deal was announced in January 2022, Smith became an industry pariah after slapping Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars, earning a 10-year ban from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of slap

Browse Nearby Words

whumps
whup
whupped
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whup. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All