The word whip has several meanings:

1. A tool made of leather or rope attached to a handle, used to strike or control animals. Cowboys in the Old West used whips to drive cattle across the plains. A lion tamer might crack a whip to direct the animal's attention. The crack of a whip is one of the few sounds people can make that breaks the sound barrier.
2. To beat or strike with rapid, lashing motions. Wind can whip tree branches during a storm. Ocean waves whip against rocky cliffs. You might whip cream by beating it rapidly with a mixer until it becomes thick and fluffy.
3. To move very quickly. A car might whip around a corner. A student might whip through their homework if they're in a hurry to go outside and play.
4. In politics, a party whip is a member of Congress or Parliament whose job involves keeping party members organized and making sure they vote according to the party's position.

When something happens in a flash, you might say it happened as quick as a whip.