whiplashes

Noun

whiplash (countable and uncountable, plural whiplashes)

1. (countable) The lash of a whip.
2. An injury to the upper spine connected to a violent jerk of the head in either a backward or forward or side to side direction, resembling the motion of a whip.
   • Of the nine staff in the third coach, most had been having a break, drinking tea or reading. One suffered a fractured skull, another a fractured shoulder. All were either thrown along or across the coach, sustaining cuts, bruising and whiplash injuries.2026 March 18, Greg Morse, “1996 crash driving freight reforms”, in RAIL, number 1057, page 50

   Synonyms:

   whiplash injury, whiplash-associated disorder

3. (figuratively) An abrupt and unexpected change, or the resulting feeling of shock.
   • tonal whiplash

   Synonyms:

   switchback, zigzag course

See all 5 meanings of whiplash