1. to cut with a whipsaw (a narrow saw blade stretched in a frame)
Usage: technical; woodworking
2. to attack or defeat from two opposite directions at once
Usage: figurative
3. to cause losses to investors by volatile price movements in both directions
Usage: finance; informal

Examples

• The carpenter whipsawed the thick lumber into planks.
• The company was whipsawed between union demands and shareholder pressure.
• Investors were whipsawed by the stock’s wild price swings.
• The politician felt whipsawed by criticism from both parties.
• Day traders got whipsawed in the volatile market.
• The team was whipsawed between conflicting strategies from management.