1
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
her husband flayed her constantly for her incessant shopping
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flay
Most repellent of all is a slow-burn sequence in which the Jimmys, having stumbled on a small community of survivors, proceed to string them up in a barn and gradually, meticulously flay them alive.
—
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2026
Koch was a real-life Nazi war criminal, played here by Krieps, whose sick specialties include flaying the skin off of Jewish people and making objects out of it like lampshades.
—William Earl, Variety, 4 Oct. 2025
This led to the investigation of Gein’s farm that unearthed his atrocities, including Worden’s body being decapitated, flayed, and hung in his shed.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025
Stripped to the bone and flayed by her ugly experiences, both during and for years after, Lidia is emotionally naked, unable even to ask for or accept help.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for flay
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2026
Koch was a real-life Nazi war criminal, played here by Krieps, whose sick specialties include flaying the skin off of Jewish people and making objects out of it like lampshades.
—William Earl, Variety, 4 Oct. 2025
This led to the investigation of Gein’s farm that unearthed his atrocities, including Worden’s body being decapitated, flayed, and hung in his shed.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025
Stripped to the bone and flayed by her ugly experiences, both during and for years after, Lidia is emotionally naked, unable even to ask for or accept help.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for flay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flay
Verb
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The feeling was less substantial, more childish, like expecting someone to walk in and scold you for doing something wrong and not knowing where to hide.—
Francesco Pacifico,
The Dial,
12 May 2026
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Stumbling on to this ruse, Antoine’s friend and manager Armand (Gilles Lellouche) immediately can tell Suzanne is a fake and scolds her for exploiting his friend’s grief.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Proctor bragged about properly hydrating himself before practice, which is something past and present Dolphins coaches and trainers annually lecture the newcomers about to avoid dehydration, and the use of intravenous fluids.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
10 May 2026
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For years, states such as New York and California have been run by politicians who seem to believe prosperity is permanent — an endless resource to be taxed a little more, regulated a little harder and lectured a little longer.—
Larry Clifton,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Years ago, a Saudi royal court official reprimanded me for describing the kingdom as a land of conditional opportunity.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
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Israeli leaders later disavowed the incident and said that he would be reprimanded, and assisted local residents in replacing the statue.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flay. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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