flayed; flaying; flays
1
: to strip off the skin or surface of : skin
The hunter flayed the rabbit and prepared it for cooking.
2
: to criticize harshly : excoriate
He was flayed by the media for his controversial comments.
3
: lash sense 1b
the wind whipped up to gale fury, flaying his face—
Richard Kent
Richard KentExamples of flay in a Sentence
her husband flayed her constantly for her incessant shopping
flayed their kill right there in the forest, taking both the meat and the skin home
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Separating fact from invention is difficult, but there have been rumors that there was more than one murderer, the killing was drug-related and — perhaps most disturbingly — that Driscoll was either dismembered or flayed alive.
—Alex Heigl, People.com, 18 May 2025
Clark, who wore a mischievous smile, flayed her arm once more for the dramatics before stepping on the court and finishing a defensive drill.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
And leather boots, barely-there flayed skirts, faux leather, faux ostrich feathers, and while crowds at Lollapalooza may edge ever closer to public nudity, Charli and her ongoing Brat Summer tour clearly inspired a cleavage arms race for the ages.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flay
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Separating fact from invention is difficult, but there have been rumors that there was more than one murderer, the killing was drug-related and — perhaps most disturbingly — that Driscoll was either dismembered or flayed alive.
—Alex Heigl, People.com, 18 May 2025
Clark, who wore a mischievous smile, flayed her arm once more for the dramatics before stepping on the court and finishing a defensive drill.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
And leather boots, barely-there flayed skirts, faux leather, faux ostrich feathers, and while crowds at Lollapalooza may edge ever closer to public nudity, Charli and her ongoing Brat Summer tour clearly inspired a cleavage arms race for the ages.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flay
Cite this Entry
“Flay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flay. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share