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\ ˈfläg 
\
\flogged; flogging
Definition of flog
1a : to beat with or as if with a rod or whip
The sailors were flogged for attempting a mutiny.
b : to criticize harshly
He was flogged in the press for failing to take action.
2 : to force or urge into action : drive
3a chiefly British : to sell (something, such as stolen goods) illegally
flogged their employers' petrol to ordinary motorists — Economist
b : sell sense 7 traveled by horse, flogging encyclopedias— Robert Darnton flogging wares at the local discount outlet— Ronald Henkoff
c : to promote aggressively : plug flying around the world flogging your movies— Peter Bogdanovich
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Synonyms for flog
Synonyms
- birch,
- cowhide,
- flagellate,
- flail,
- hide,
- horsewhip,
- lash,
- leather,
- rawhide,
- scourge,
- slash,
- switch,
- tan,
- thrash,
- whale,
- whip
Examples of flog in a Sentence
The sailors were flogged for attempting a mutiny.
a graphic depiction of a sailor being flogged by the captain for disobeying orders
Recent Examples on the Web On its swarming 57-acre site in Battersea wholesalers are flogging fruit, vegetables and flowers to London’s greengrocers and restaurateurs.
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The Economist, "Greta Thunberg accuses rich countries of “creative carbon accounting”," 17 Oct. 2019 The most recent was Ophelia, which flogged Ireland in 2017 with 97 mph winds.
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Aric Chokey, sun-sentinel.com, "Hurricane Lorenzo’s record-breaking march will end with a rare landfall: the coast of Ireland," 3 Oct. 2019 Northernmost Banda Aceh is the only province in the country that observes Shariah -- or Islamic law -- and those found guilty of breaking the strict morality laws are flogged in public.
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Helen Regan And Masrur Jamaluddin, CNN, "Indonesia is about to pass a law that would criminalize sex outside of marriage," 19 Sep. 2019 Reflexologists manipulate them, and inquisitors flog them.
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Los Angeles Times, "He was seeking custom-made boots. The journey led to a life deeply touched by love and death and leather," 22 Oct. 2019 Smith-Schuster pedaled his bike to USC’s sand volleyball courts and flogged himself with solo workouts of his own design.
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Michael Mcknight, SI.com, "Much Ado About JuJu," 4 Sep. 2019 The Roman senator Cicero described visiting Sparta to witness the diamastigôsis, the ancient ritual where Spartan boys were flogged bloody, and sometimes to death, before the altar of Artemis Orthia.
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Myke Cole, The New Republic, "The Sparta Fetish Is a Cultural Cancer," 1 Aug. 2019 Story lines were duly flogged: Harris vs. Biden, Beto vs. Buttigieg, The Progressives vs. Everybody.
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Washington Post, "‘Why do you look so familiar?’: In Detroit, presidential wannabes try to make themselves worth recognizing," 1 Aug. 2019 Economic growth is dragging, trade war pains (especially, but not only, between the U.S. and China) are mounting, and Brexit is the mood-dampener that never seems to end, flogging consumer confidence, in particular.
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Katherine Dunn, Fortune, "It’s a Cruel Summer for Europe’s Discount Airlines—Not Just Because of Boeing," 31 July 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flog.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for flog
flog
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of flog
: to beat or whip (someone) severely
See the full definition for flog in the English Language Learners Dictionary
flog
verb\ ˈfläg \
\flogged; flogging
Kids Definition of flog
: to beat severely with a rod or whip
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Time Traveler for flog
The first known use of flog was circa 1676
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