flog

verb

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\ ˈfläg

flogged; flogging

Definition of flog

transitive verb

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

4 British : steal sense 1

intransitive verb

1 : flap, flutter sails flogging

2 British : to move along with difficulty : slog

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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 Selling vehicles directly forges a bond with buyers that may help flog services in the future. — The Economist, "Personal transport New means of getting from A to B are disrupting carmaking," 11 Apr. 2021 Garuda is not the only Asian airline to flog its food to the land-lubbing public. — The Economist, "Grounded beef Asian airlines are selling in-flight meals directly to the public," 29 Aug. 2020 And right on time the opponents of fossil fuels are flogging a sloppy study that ties pollutants to coronavirus deaths. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "The Fossil Fuel-Virus Nexus? Not," 4 May 2020 Democrats, seeking more than $500 billion to cover costs of police, fire and other front-line workers, have flogged McConnell for his opposition and his suggestion that states could instead take a bankruptcy option out. — Chronicle Staff, SFChronicle.com, "Coronavirus news from the Bay Area: April 29-30," 1 May 2020 Trump has flogged Merkel’s policies throughout his campaign and presidency. — Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, "Merkel's revived hold on power forces Trump to work with a leader he dislikes to confront China," 29 Apr. 2020 Many retailers flogging non-essential goods are stuck with useless inventory—with more piling up as pre-pandemic orders stream in from factories in faraway emerging markets. — The Economist, "Fashion retailers struggle to manage their inventories," 18 Apr. 2020 Hard to make that case -- the media has not been guilty of flogging quack cures. — The Washington Post, "Chatological Humor with Gene Weingarten," 28 Apr. 2020 The fear now is that, since the pieces are too recognisable to be sold intact, the robbers will break out the diamonds and sapphires to flog them separately. — The Economist, "Ocean’s Eight on the Elbe A stunning, sad heist in Dresden," 28 Nov. 2019

These 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.