flail

noun

\ˈflāl

Definition of flail

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a hand threshing implement consisting of a wooden handle at the end of which a stouter and shorter stick is so hung as to swing freely

flail

verb

flailed; flailing; flails

Definition of flail (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to strike with or as if with a flail The bird's wings flailed the water.

b : to move, swing, or beat as if wielding a flail flailing a club to drive away the insects

2 : to thresh (grain) with a flail

intransitive verb

: to move, swing, or beat like a flail arms flailing in the water

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about flail

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Examples of flail in a Sentence

Verb

They were flailing their arms to drive away the insects. The wounded animal lay on the ground, flailing helplessly. He was wildly flailing about on the dance floor. The bird's wings flailed the water.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

For good measure, still in mid-flail, LeBron takes a gratuitous swipe at Bogey’s face. — Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: Who can stop LeBron? No one. But Pacers Bogdanovic has done a better job than most.," 17 Apr. 2018 Included in the anatomical arsenal were tails that evolved to act like flails, spikes, bats and clubs. — Nicholas St. Fleur, New York Times, "Where Did Animals With Tail Weapons Go? Here’s a Back Story," 16 Jan. 2018 Among the tactics, no shtick is simultaneously as eye-catching and absurd as the spastic flail of a perky nylon tube with vaguely human features. — Eric Tingwall, Car and Driver, "How the Wacky Waving Inflatable Tube Man Pulls Off Those Fresh Moves," 17 Oct. 2017 To president Trump and his administration, the quest for tax reform looks like repeal and replace (i.e. flail and disgrace) all over again. — Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Is Afraid His Tax Plan Is Doomed. He Should Be.," 18 Oct. 2017 Outdoors, its interactions with the wind give the inflatable its erratic flail. — Eric Tingwall, Car and Driver, "How the Wacky Waving Inflatable Tube Man Pulls Off Those Fresh Moves," 17 Oct. 2017 With two outs, Bauer toyed with Javier Baez, throwing a 1-0 strike past him before throwing consecutive pitches way out of the strike zone and watching the young second baseman flail at them wildly to end the inning. — Benjamin Hoffman And David Waldstein, New York Times, "World Series: Here’s How the Chicago Cubs Won Game 5," 30 Oct. 2016 Scott appears on one mediocre chorus after another, and the rest of rap's younger generation flail along with him. — Maeve Mcdermott, USA TODAY, "Beyond its singles, DJ Khaled's 'Grateful' is 90 minutes of pain," 23 June 2017 For Christina Mallon, who has what doctors think is a rare form of A.L.S. (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease) called flail arm syndrome, every task can become a challenge. — Valeriya Safronova, New York Times, "Designing for All Abilities," 9 May 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Under his leadership, the company continued to flail, posting a 5.4 percent drop in same-store sales in the past fiscal year. — Matt Townsend, BostonGlobe.com, "Barnes & Noble fires CEO without severance pay," 3 July 2018 Under his leadership, the company continued to flail, posting a 5.4% drop in same-store sales in the last fiscal year. — Bloomberg, latimes.com, "Barnes & Noble fires its CEO without severance pay," 3 July 2018 But Hester took Vinatieri's game-opening kickoff 92 yards to the house with the kicker flailing to stop him at the end of it. — Nate Davis, USA TODAY, "The 51 greatest Super Bowl moments of all time," 26 Jan. 2018 With their massive floppy ears swaying side to side and their baby trunks flailing around in sheer happiness, this video is basically three minutes of perfection. — Alexis Hobbs, Woman's Day, "Baby Elephants Splashing Around in Mud is the Definition of Adorable," 17 Aug. 2015 In real life, the choke hold was not a long stalemate but a brief, fluid moment, before the two men started flailing, Erving began punching, and their own fight got absorbed in a sprawling brawl. — Eric Moskowitz, BostonGlobe.com, "A Celtics-Sixers photo for the ages. And the photographer behind the shot.," 7 May 2018 My father got a hold of Mami again, picked her up in the air, my mother red-faced and shrieking, arms flailing, spit flying out of her mouth. — Longreads, "La Otra," 26 June 2018 Jamie Foxx: All too often Foxx flailed at keeping the room’s spirits up, and was clearly stalling for time. — August Brown, latimes.com, "From H.E.R. to Jamie Foxx, the best and worst moments of the BET Awards," 25 June 2018 In recent days, House Republicans have flailed in their bid to find the right policy mix to deal with immigrants and strengthen border security. — Paul Kane, Anchorage Daily News, "Congress' record on immigration is repeated failures," 24 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flail.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for flail

Noun

Middle English fleil, flail, partly from Old English *flegel (whence Old English fligel), from Late Latin flagellum flail, from Latin, whip & partly from Anglo-French flael, from Late Latin flagellum — more at flagellate

Verb

see flail entry 1

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