Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "bullwhip" [bullwhip]

  • A long, plaited rawhide whip with a knotted end. (noun)
  • To whip or beat with a bullwhip. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "bullwhip" in a sentence
  • "And the Wall Street Journalcall the economic recovery a 'bullwhip' - as in we're about to get hit again."
  • "In supply chains, forecast errors compound across the supply chain in a phenomena known as the bullwhip effect resulting in excess inventory and a costly failure to match supply with demand."
  • "The so-called bullwhip effect, whereby a post-recession resumption of demand creates a snap-back effect that's often larger than customer demand, is waning as inventory gains slow and companies are more closely matching their output to demand."