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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Recent Examples of flagellate
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
All are said to have had affairs with Lucian Freud (was there anyone who didn’t?), three with Arthur Koestler and one with Egypt’s King Farouk (who liked to flagellate her on the steps of the royal palace with his dressing-gown cord).
—Moira Hodgson, WSJ, 31 Jan. 2020
See All Example Sentences for flagellate
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
All are said to have had affairs with Lucian Freud (was there anyone who didn’t?), three with Arthur Koestler and one with Egypt’s King Farouk (who liked to flagellate her on the steps of the royal palace with his dressing-gown cord).
—Moira Hodgson, WSJ, 31 Jan. 2020
See All Example Sentences for flagellate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flagellate
Verb
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Chargers blockers failed to solve a few stunts, The Patriots whipped them on straight-up rushes, too.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
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Absinthe 1 egg white Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake briefly without ice to whip the egg.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Minimalists will opt for a charging station with organized cords or a drawer or basket to hide cords in lieu of a jumble of cords and devices, Donaldson shares.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
13 Jan. 2026
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That can include driving someone away from agents, hiding them, or providing false documents.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This is why celebrities like Oprah sing Spanx’s praises, as do the editors at Travel + Leisure, especially when the brand slashes prices on its beloved athleisure.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Jan. 2026
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Trump sought to slash spending in scientific research at NOAA and NASA, among other agencies.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 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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Trump has also repeatedly lashed out over the state’s incarceration of Tina Peters, the former county clerk convicted of state felonies related to her attempts to prove discredited election conspiracies shared by the president.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
9 Jan. 2026
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According to Augustinus Bader, apply to brows and lashes morning and night.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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From penny loafers and tassel loafers to leather and suede variations, there are so many different iterations of the tried-and-true shoe that can fit seamlessly into your closet, no matter your personal style.—
Abby Morgan Lebet,
Glamour,
31 Dec. 2025
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The brand sources leather exclusively from colder climates, where fibers tighten under temperature, ensuring structure without compromising fluidity.—
Skylar Mitchell,
Essence,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Stephen Ross, the Miami Dolphins’ majority owner since 2009, is now looking for his eighth different head coach in a parade of floundering, flailing and failing.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
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On Netflix Summer 2026 | Comedy A forty-year-old executive hopes to save his flailing career by joining a group of twenty-somethings on a wild three-day bachelor party, after he’s inadvertently added to their group text.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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To be publicly flogged for how much Pa permitted us to do — that felt grossly unfair.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
31 Dec. 2025
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There are traditional Finnish saunas (dry heat/steam), infrared saunas (radiant heat), Turkish baths/hammams (can include a venik ritual where guests are flogged with branches) and Russian banyas (high-humidity steam).—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flagellate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flagellate. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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