as in to whip
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
some medieval monks believed it was necessary to flagellate themselves in order to keep their desires in check
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flagellate
Stephens would do well to stop flagellating himself and the Never Trumpers and instead join democracy advocates in defending the rule of law in a dangerous new world.
—
Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2025
Pop stars being badasses, as ever, but expressing doubt, and doing it without the flagellating self-destruction that might have come with an early iteration.
—Susannah Felts, Longreads, 27 Apr. 2023
For Logan, none of these self-flagellating exercises mattered.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2023
One Peruvian candidate has taken time to talk about his habit of wearing a wire chain, known as a cilice, every day to flagellate himself.
—Star Tribune, 8 Apr. 2021
See All Example Sentences for flagellate
Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2025
Pop stars being badasses, as ever, but expressing doubt, and doing it without the flagellating self-destruction that might have come with an early iteration.
—Susannah Felts, Longreads, 27 Apr. 2023
For Logan, none of these self-flagellating exercises mattered.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2023
One Peruvian candidate has taken time to talk about his habit of wearing a wire chain, known as a cilice, every day to flagellate himself.
—Star Tribune, 8 Apr. 2021
See All Example Sentences for flagellate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flagellate
Verb
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And while public opinion was being whipped, a legal strategy kicked off behind the bench.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
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This means that your desire to whip things in shape at home or with a family member might be ill-timed.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Justin Cappos, a professor of computer science at New York University, who studies software supply-chain security, likens the attack to a typewriter hiding a second message in plain sight.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
21 Mar. 2026
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As a main guideline, think about ribcage jeans as an opportunity to actually showcase your waist rather than hiding it.—
Dino Bonačić,
Glamour,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tuesday, however, Epic Games slashed about 20 percent of its staff, more than 1,000 jobs, citing problems with its flagship Fortnite franchise … the same franchise that Disney’s Epic Games deal is connected to.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Mar. 2026
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Such an outcome could slash oil prices, flooding the market with supply currently choked by military threats in the Strait of Hormuz.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Speccie’s star columnist is the rudest man in Christendom, the Godzilla of contumely, an all-time non-sufferer of fools who horsewhips his targets the way Hunter S. Thompson and Christopher Hitchens once did.—
Kyle Smith,
National Review,
23 Apr. 2020
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In reality, Watson wasn’t a bar fighter or famous for horsewhipping cowboys.—
Eliza McGraw,
Smithsonian,
12 Mar. 2018
Verb
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In response to the mothering of a sister, a brother has options—resist, lash out, put up with it, become utterly dependent on it.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Many Banksy fans mourned the loss of the mystery and lashed out at the news outlet.—
Laurie Kellman,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Inside, the home features 10-foot coffered ceilings, white oak floors, and a kitchen with a La Cornue range and light leathered marble countertops.—
BusinessDen,
Denver Post,
16 Mar. 2026
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The texture play looks cool and intentional, like an all-black outfit that layers leather with silk.—
Samantha Brash,
InStyle,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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It could be described as a genre about flailing white people, the one that gave rise to Greta Gerwig in Frances Ha and Hannah Takes the Stairs and inspired the slightly younger Lena Dunham in honing the I-want-to-dissolve-into-my-seat-with-embarrassment humor of Girls.—
Jada Yuan,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
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Sure, the Bulls should shut down players such as Jalen Smith and Tre Jones — winners who can prop up the rest of the flailing offense against a truly tanking team — for the rest of the season.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The media flagged and flogged it for AI incompetence.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
25 Jan. 2026
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Examples include a husband having the legal right to restrict his wife’s travel and employment, unequal divorce rights and punishment for appearing in public without a hijab ranging from fines to prison time to flogging.—
Ellie Austin,
Fortune,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flagellate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flagellate. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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