fling

verb

\ ˈfliŋ

flung\ ˈfləŋ

\; flinging\ ˈfliŋ-iŋ

Definition of fling

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to move in a brusque or headlong manner flung out of the room in a rage

2 of an animal : to kick or plunge vigorously

3 Scotland : caper

transitive verb

1a : to throw forcefully, impetuously, or casually flung herself down on the sofa clothes were flung on the floor

b : to cast as if by throwing flung off all restraint

2 : to place or send suddenly and unceremoniously (see unceremonious sense 2) was arrested and flung into prison

3 : to give unrestrainedly flung himself into music

fling

noun

Definition of fling (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act or instance of flinging

2a : a casual try or involvement

b : a casual or brief love affair

3 : a period devoted to self-indulgence

Other Words from fling Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about fling

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Choose the Right Synonym for fling

Verb

throw, cast, toss, fling, hurl, pitch, sling mean to cause to move swiftly through space by a propulsive movement or a propelling force. throw is general and interchangeable with the other terms but may specifically imply a distinctive motion with bent arm. can throw a fastball and a curve cast usually implies lightness in the thing thrown and sometimes a scattering. cast it to the winds toss suggests a light or careless or aimless throwing and may imply an upward motion. tossed the coat on the bed fling stresses a violent throwing. flung the ring back in his face hurl implies power as in throwing a massive weight. hurled himself at the intruder pitch suggests throwing carefully at a target. pitch horseshoes sling stresses either the use of whirling momentum in throwing or directness of aim. slung the bag over his shoulder

Examples of fling in a Sentence

Verb

He flung his shoe across the room. She flung the door open and stormed into the room. They flung their hats into the air. She flung herself into his arms. He flung his arms around her. I flung back my head and laughed. He leaned back and flung his leg over the arm of the chair. She flung herself onto the couch.

Noun

She had a fling with her boss. They had time for one last fling before going back to school.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The collision flung the camel into the car, smashing the windshield and trapping the confused animal inside. — Caroline Judelson, Fox News, "Unbelievable video shows camel trapped inside car after collision," 10 Aug. 2018 One of them, Deputy Scotty Finnegan, flung out a rope, which the passengers then grabbed and used to pull themselves to shore. — Suzannah Weiss, Teen Vogue, "Cops Rescue Women Stranded in Lake on Unicorn Float," 14 Aug. 2018 His offense, which was on fire in the first half scoring four touchdowns and a field goal, was aggressive and spectacularly innovative with Heisman winner Baker Mayfield flinging the ball all over the field. — Ed Rendell, Philly.com, "Rendell: Expand college FBS to eight," 5 Jan. 2018 Luis Perdomo flung an 0-1 slider toward the plate, watched as the pitch collided with J.D. Martinez’s bat and threw his hands up in disgust as the ball rocketed toward the yellow home-run line in center field. — Dennis Lin, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Perdomo allows three solo home runs in narrow loss to D-backs," 10 Sep. 2017 In May 2001, Discover’s cover story asked exactly that, exploring unanswered questions about the psychological perils of humans crammed together and flung through space. — Stephen Ornes, Discover Magazine, "Want to be a Mars Astronaut? You'll Need the Proper Mindset," 16 Oct. 2018 The next step involves a launch aboard a Delta IV Heavy rocket, the second most powerful rocket in the world, to fling the probe toward Venus. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "After 20 years of planning, ambitious Solar mission about to launch," 10 Aug. 2018 Players can pull off moves like launching an enemy into the air, juggling them for a few punches, then grabbing them with a web and flinging them at the next foe, all before zipping across the room to strike a third goon. — Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge, "The first hour of Spider-Man on the PS4 strains against the limits of open-world storytelling," 2 Aug. 2018 Enthusiasts, not as concerned with safety or lawsuits as Hasbro, modded their quirky-but-impractical blasters into better or more maniacal foam-flinging machines. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "Nerf's Laser Tag Guns Are Cool, But They Lose What Makes Nerf Great," 17 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The tweet was first reported on by Page Six, which was also the first outlet to report on the pair’s alleged fling. — Maria Pasquini, PEOPLE.com, "Aubrey O’Day Admitted to Having a 'Crush' on Donald Trump Jr. in Celebrity Apprentice Clip," 23 Mar. 2018 The same goes for frequent flyer miles and credit card points, which a cheater may spend on a fling. — Kim Komando, Fox News, "8 clever ways that tech can reveal a cheating spouse," 15 Sep. 2018 Jenner just ended things recently with Simmons after a summer-long fling. — Isabel Greenberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kendall Jenner Was Reportedly Caught Making Out With Anwar Hadid Again," 7 Sep. 2018 But before making things official at their destination wedding, both the bride and groom embarked on a last fling before the ring. — Emily Strohm, PEOPLE.com, "Property Brothers' Drew Scott Kicks Off His Wedding Week with Surprise Bachelor Party in Italy," 9 May 2018 Kendall Jenner seems to be moving on pretty quickly from her summer fling with basketball player Ben Simmons. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Are Kendall Jenner and Anwar Hadid Dating? Here's Everything We Know," 7 Sep. 2018 Their weekend fling then turned into several trips around the world: India! — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Did Nick Jonas Just Confirm His Engagement to Priyanka Chopra?," 9 Aug. 2018 Audience obsession over the romantic lives of celebrities spans across popular media, whether there’s gossip about Drake’s latest fling or forensic investigations of the latest Taylor Swift album for evidence of new flames. — Patricia Hernandez, The Verge, "For women on Twitch, disclosing their relationship status is a minefield," 8 Aug. 2018 The culprit: Disick's inability to stay away from past flings. — The Editors, Cosmopolitan, "Bella Thorne Left Cannes After Pictures Emerged of Scott Disick Kissing His Ex," 26 May 2017

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