whipsawed; whipsawing; whipsaws
1
: to saw with a whipsaw
2
: to beset or victimize in two opposite ways at once, by a two-phase operation, or by the collusive action of two opponents
wage earners were whipsawed by inflation and high taxes
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A whipsaw is a type of hand-powered saw worked by two people, one of whom stands on or above the log being sawed and the other below it, usually in a pit. The tool dates back to the 15th century, but it was not until the 19th century that anyone thought to use the saw's name figuratively to describe situations in which someone or something is doubly "cut," or hurt. Today, the word is commonly used when discussing financial crises or losses as well as ideological changes (as in government policy) that might "cut."
Examples of whipsaw in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Arkansas Online, 11 Apr. 2025
Often, the market’s whipsaw moves have come not just day to day but also hour to hour.
—Time, 11 Apr. 2025
Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
The order, made public on Friday, is the latest of many attempts to overhaul the loan forgiveness program, which has often whipsawed borrowers with rule changes and bureaucratic obstacles.
—Stacy Cowley, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whipsaw
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Noun
Often, the market's whipsaw moves have come not just day to day but also hour to hour.
—Arkansas Online, 11 Apr. 2025
Often, the market’s whipsaw moves have come not just day to day but also hour to hour.
—Time, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
The stock market plunged on Thursday and Friday and whipsawed Monday because of all the uncertainty created by the tariffs, which the president unveiled last Wednesday after the closing bell on Wall Street.
—Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
The order, made public on Friday, is the latest of many attempts to overhaul the loan forgiveness program, which has often whipsawed borrowers with rule changes and bureaucratic obstacles.
—Stacy Cowley, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whipsaw
Cite this Entry
“Whipsaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whipsaw. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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