Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pencil whip

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.68 in modern English

Syllables: pen-cil whip
IPA

22

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To approve a document without actually knowing or reviewing what it is that is being approved.

verb

To complete a form, record, or document without having performed the implied work or without supporting data or evidence.

Example Sentences

"Knowing the auditors were coming in just a week, we chose to pencil whip the quarterly inventory forms for the last year."
"So, if you pencil-whipped that last survey, you've probably shot yourself in the foot, according to Stanley."
"“Nothing should be 9:00, 9:15, 9:30, because the auditors say you're pencil-whipping it. And truth be known, we do pencil-whip it. We can't add by fifteen because that really puts you in a bind. Add by fourteen. That looks pretty come audit time. […]"

Inflected Forms

pencil whips (present, singular) pencil whipping (participle, present) pencil whipped (participle, past) pencil whipped (past)

Synonyms

rubber stamp

Questions

What does pencil whip mean?: To approve a document without actually knowing or reviewing what it is that is being approved.

How to pronounce pencil whip

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pencil whip”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “pencil whip”.
Repeat and practice — Say “pencil whip” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.