fling

verb

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\ 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

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Other Words from fling Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Phrases Containing fling 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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb By promising that most elusive of human commodities — empathy — ElliQ could either solve the growing plague of senior loneliness or fling us right into the dystopic robot-buddy chasm. — Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2022 Some teens took those brief moments of human contact to fling their feces and urine at the guards. — Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 10 Mar. 2022 Some teens took those brief moments of human contact to fling their feces and urine at the guards. — NBC News, 10 Mar. 2022 This small shack on 11th Street in the Heights is shut most of the year, but its doors fling open and its social media comes back to life as soon as crawfish season starts. — Emma Balter, Chron, 10 Mar. 2022 Explosions fling a wide array of materials into the air, from heavy metals in industrial sites to the concrete, cables, and piping in roads, to asbestos from buildings. — Matt Simon, Wired, 3 Mar. 2022 Los Angeles' defense then won it when Aaron Donald got hold of Jimmy Garoppolo and forced him to fling a pass toward JaMycal Hasty. — Greg Beacham, ajc, 31 Jan. 2022 The system uses the heavy blade’s weight to fling it open with a quick snap of our wrists. — Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 15 Apr. 2015 With that prompt, Rickover would fling the equipment or part at the radiator in his office. — WSJ, 18 Feb. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Back in France, Joan raises her son from that Irish fling, Nathan (played at different ages by Louis Broust and Dimitri Doré), with help from her parents. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2022 During a brutal Los Angeles heat wave, Neil (Ted Danson) has a fling with a commercial actress (guest star Fran Drescher). — Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2022 Some did manage to have a short fling with a man; but in most cases, these relationships – exceedingly difficult to maintain at a long distance – fizzled out. — Min Joo Lee, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2022 Following a very public split, Cyrus and Lil Xan briefly reconnected in early 2020 — prior to her reported fling with Smokepurpp. — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE.com, 8 Apr. 2022 When the track dropped, fans immediately got to work mapping out Swift's love life and ultimately linked the song to her whirlwind fling with Hiddleston following her long-term relationship with Calvin Harris. — Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 Mar. 2022 Or a hound dog, crying all the time over a fling gone bad? — Wayne And Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Mar. 2022 With their Massachusetts hometowns separated by nearly an hour’s drive, the teens only meet face-to-face a handful of times after that initial vacation fling. — Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Mar. 2022 While both disciplines feature large ramps that fling skiers into the air, aerialists take off from steeper ramps that send them higher while the flatter big air jump allows competitors to clear a large gap. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2022 See More

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.

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