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
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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Sides of salad, mushrooms, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, whipped sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, buttered corn, stuffing and cranberry sauce can be purchased a la carte.—
Elaine Rewolinski,
jsonline.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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Somebody could come up and whip us.—
Frank DiGiacomo,
Billboard,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But this book gave me nowhere to hide.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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The logistics of coordinating international travel, visas, and hotel accommodations for a secret guest are far more complex than hiding someone domestically.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The biggest test may be in Virginia, which is home to many federal workers impacted by the government shutdown and efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency to slash agencies.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
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In the wake of the results, reported late Thursday, several Wall Street firms slashed their price targets.—
Scott Schnipper,
CNBC,
31 Oct. 2025
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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The Migos star — who shares three children with Cardi — later appeared to lash out at her on a new song released at the end of October.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
4 Nov. 2025
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Strong winds also are expected to lash the West Coast as an atmospheric river (a corridor of concentrated moisture in the atmosphere, sometimes called a tropical plume) arrives on Friday.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Laser Module – Add engraving and cutting capabilities for materials from wood and acrylic to leather.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 Oct. 2025
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Mirrors have a patina, coffee tables are leathered and trunk-like.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Elsbeth, who could make friends with a pepper grinder, is flailing a little bit in her attempts to connect deeply with her other colleagues.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
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This was no ordinary offense that the Dodgers left flailing.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Others have called out the boring marketing campaign based around flogging variants in order for Swift to finally beat the record for the biggest opening sales week for a female artist in history (currently held by Adele, which she is likely projected to break).—
Bianca Davino,
Refinery29,
7 Oct. 2025
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The only thing tougher to watch than the Bengals’ offense on Sunday was Browning flogging himself over the failure.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flagellate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flagellate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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