whiplash

/ˈwɪpˌlæʃ/
noun
  1. An injury to the neck caused by a sudden, forceful back-and-forth movement of the head, often from a car accident.
    • Whiplash can cause headaches and stiffness for weeks after an accident.
    • Doctors recommend rest and gentle exercises to recover from whiplash.
    • She suffered whiplash after the car was hit from behind.
  2. The flexible part of a whip that makes a cracking sound when it is snapped.
    • The tip of the whiplash snapped loudly as the cowboy urged his horse forward.
    • He replaced the worn whiplash on his riding crop.
    • The whiplash of the bullwhip cracked through the air.
  3. A sudden, dramatic change or shock, especially in a situation or opinion.
    • The company's policy change gave employees cultural whiplash.
    • The rapid shifts in the weather caused emotional whiplash for the travelers.
    • Fans experienced whiplash when their favorite team went from last place to first in one season.
Synonyms
What does "whiplash" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean