as in to whip
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
the pirate captain threatened to horsewhip any of his crew who questioned his orders
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horsewhip
The Speccie’s star columnist is the rudest man in Christendom, the Godzilla of contumely, an all-time non-sufferer of fools who horsewhips his targets the way Hunter S. Thompson and Christopher Hitchens once did.
—
Kyle Smith, National Review, 23 Apr. 2020
In reality, Watson wasn’t a bar fighter or famous for horsewhipping cowboys.
—Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian, 12 Mar. 2018
Kyle Smith, National Review, 23 Apr. 2020
In reality, Watson wasn’t a bar fighter or famous for horsewhipping cowboys.
—Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian, 12 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horsewhip
Verb
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The tight end completed a pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes for a 37-yard score in the fourth quarter and whipped out some moves in the end zone to celebrate.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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People also experimented with brown sugar, oat milk, or whipped foam to mimic the cookie’s sweetness and texture.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The most notorious, in 1978, saw the late queen hide behind a bush in the gardens of Buckingham Palace to avoid Nicolae Ceaușescu, having already removed anything that the Romanian dictator could steal from his room following a warning from Giscard d'Estaing, the then French president.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
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Other newborns were given away by their grandparents who conspired with doctors, priests and nuns to hide a daughter’s socially embarrassing pregnancy.—
Rafael Romo,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While the rest of Burning Man celebrated, Kruglov lay prostrate on the ground at a faraway campsite in a comparatively desolate section of Black Rock City, his throat slashed, as a puddle of blood congealed around his lifeless body.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
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The sharp drop in mortgage rates owes in part to government data showing a significant decline in hiring, which has heightened expectations that the Federal Reserve will slash interest rates and in turn put downward pressure on borrowing costs, some analysts told ABC News.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Heeled, bubbled, square-toed, strapped or leathered out with metal accents like Longoria’s, the shape is proving its range.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
6 Aug. 2025
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Lucy Bronze’s icon status was reaffirmed throughout England’s 2025 European Championship-winning campaign — from strapping up her own leg in extra time to her absolutely leathering home a penalty in the quarter-final shootout win against Sweden.—
Ali Rampling,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
Verb
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Like any tubing mascara, Badi Lash wraps lashes in flexible, smudge-proof polymers that darken and lengthen them.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Instead of seeking help, her niece lashed out.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horsewhip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horsewhip. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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