flogged; flogging
1
a
: to beat with or as if with a rod or whip
The sailors were flogged for attempting a mutiny.
b
: to criticize harshly
He was flogged in the press for failing to take action.
2
: to force or urge into action : drive
3
a
chiefly British
: to sell (something, such as stolen goods) illegally
… flogged their employers' petrol to ordinary motorists …—
Economist
Economist
b
: sell sense 7
… traveled by horse, flogging encyclopedias …—Robert Darnton
Robert Darntonflogging wares at the local discount outlet—Ronald Henkoff
Ronald Henkoff
c
: to promote aggressively : plug
Flying around the world flogging your movies …—Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich4
British
: steal sense 1
flogger
noun
flog·ger
-gə(r)
plural -s
: one that flogs: such as
a
b
: a foundry worker who knocks the loose sand from a casting just taken from the mold
Examples of flog in a Sentence
Verb
The sailors were flogged for attempting a mutiny.
a graphic depiction of a sailor being flogged by the captain for disobeying orders
Recent Examples on the Web
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2026
That stickability probably owes as much to the franchise's unconventional toy-first origins as its unprecedented ability to flog merchandise.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 June 2026
Now adults, after a childhood marred with tragedy, Guin flogs a memoir only tangentially related to the truth, and Ennis stages a new art exhibit, despite what happened at the last one.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
So, that is one gig at a completely unnecessary addition to the sports calendar, created by corporate interests for the sole intention of flogging products to people who do not really like sport… and another at the Enhanced Games.
—Matt Slater, New York Times, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for flog
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Verb
And a few, like Giuliana Rancic, will flog some specific Pratt issues, like the brutal state of the city’s animal shelters.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2026
That stickability probably owes as much to the franchise's unconventional toy-first origins as its unprecedented ability to flog merchandise.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 June 2026
Now adults, after a childhood marred with tragedy, Guin flogs a memoir only tangentially related to the truth, and Ennis stages a new art exhibit, despite what happened at the last one.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
So, that is one gig at a completely unnecessary addition to the sports calendar, created by corporate interests for the sole intention of flogging products to people who do not really like sport… and another at the Enhanced Games.
—Matt Slater, New York Times, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for flog
Cite this Entry
“Flog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flog. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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