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fling

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fling distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of fling are cast, hurl, pitch, sling, throw, and toss. While all these words mean "to cause to move swiftly through space by a propulsive movement or a propelling force," fling stresses a violent throwing.

flung the ring back in his face

When would cast be a good substitute for fling?

The words cast and fling can be used in similar contexts, but cast usually implies lightness in the thing thrown and sometimes a scattering.

cast it to the winds

When can hurl be used instead of fling?

Although the words hurl and fling have much in common, hurl implies power as in throwing a massive weight.

hurled himself at the intruder

Where would pitch be a reasonable alternative to fling?

The meanings of pitch and fling largely overlap; however, pitch suggests throwing carefully at a target.

pitch horseshoes

When is sling a more appropriate choice than fling?

While in some cases nearly identical to fling, sling stresses either the use of whirling momentum in throwing or directness of aim.

slung the bag over his shoulder

In what contexts can throw take the place of fling?

The synonyms throw and fling are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

When might toss be a better fit than fling?

While the synonyms toss and fling are close in meaning, toss suggests a light or careless or aimless throwing and may imply an upward motion.

tossed the coat on the bed

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of fling
Noun
In the other, a school friend of Maggie’s, Charlotte, who once had a fling with the Italian prince, ends up marrying Maggie’s father. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 21 May 2025 Spring flings are in and passions are running hot—especially on May 22, when amorous Venus makes a lucky trine to feisty Mars in your relationship zone. Nina Kahn, StyleCaster, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
These explosions also differed from tidal disruption events (TDEs), which are massive releases of energy that occur when extreme gravitational forces around black holes rip stars apart, flinging much of their mass outward into space. Brett Tingley, Space.com, 5 June 2025 With Adam Henrique on the doorstep, DeSmith made a dramatic and downright balletic move to stop him — flinging his left arm behind him for balance and furiously stabbing the right side of the crease with his right pad. Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for fling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fling
Noun
  • That’s after the European Central Bank confirmed the yellow metal had overtaken the euro on the back of feverish buying sprees that have pushed its price to record highs over the last 12 months.
    Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
  • The suspect – a 21-year-old Austrian male who had previously attended the school but not graduated – used two weapons, a shotgun and a pistol, to carry out the killing spree, before fatally shooting himself in a bathroom, authorities said at the news conference.
    Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 10 June 2025
Noun
  • President Donald Trump was the victim of two assassination attempts last year, and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, was attacked in their San Francisco home in 2022.
    Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 16 June 2025
  • And yet, our research and conversations with executives show that instead of encouraging these efforts, some managers actively undermine employees’ attempts at cross-silo collaboration.
    ESMT Berlin, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • Ohtani recorded two strikeouts while throwing 18 pitches, allowing his only baserunner on an error when Mookie Betts dropped a popup in the sun.
    Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
  • The match was initially suspended as seats in the Salernitana section of the ground were ripped up and thrown onto the pitch, alongside flares, and the referee took both sets of players off the field and back into the changing rooms.
    Ali Rampling, New York Times, 22 June 2025
Noun
  • An over-the-top romp with horror, sci-fi, and comedy elements, Wild Zero stars the Japanese rock trio Guitar Wolf as themselves, heroically leaping into action to help a fan when the dead start attacking.
    James Grebey, Time, 20 June 2025
  • Reuters reported that the incidents happened in the hours after Florida’s Game 6 romp over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday to secure its second straight Stanley Cup.
    Ben Morse, CNN Money, 19 June 2025
Noun
  • For a lighter, fresher take, give this Pizza Salad a try.
    Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 June 2025
  • Devers eventually agreed to be the DH but then played a game of punitive gotcha with management by refusing to grab a glove and give first base a try after Triston Casas ruptured his left patellar tendon and was lost for the season.
    Steve Buckley, New York Times, 16 June 2025
Noun
  • Trump's comments follow a string of legal wins for Harvard's leaders, who vowed in April to fight back against what many onlookers in higher education have described as unprecedented interference by the federal government in a campus's affairs.
    Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 21 June 2025
  • The city’s immigrant affairs office is currently a lean two-person team, with Aragon and a language access coordinator.
    Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2025
Verb
  • Sadly, Murphy believes, scrutiny hurled at the show’s Carolyn is eerily similar in to how the media and public treated Bessette-Kennedy.
    Marc Malkin, Variety, 19 June 2025
  • There were also reports of demonstrators hurling objects at police.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • My family ventured into the city one night and on a lark, stopped into the MFA.
    Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 6 June 2025
  • But the leader of the free world picked up himself when the pair called on a lark days later, delivering on an impromptu interview the White House had previously cancelled.
    Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fling. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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