as in whipping
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 flagellating
His only way of finding any kind of life for himself is to embrace evil, to stop running away from it, to try to stop morally flagellating himself.
—
Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026
Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flagellating
Verb
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Now imagine seeing like half a dozen road-going glizzies whipping around one of the most iconic tracks in all of motorsports.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
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It was delivered by the 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama, whose torso uncorked in a fit of frustration that sent his right elbow whipping toward Reid’s windpipe like a torpedo bat flying through the strike zone.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Not every summer movie needs to be a mystery that unfolds hallway after hallway, with a creature hiding around every corner ready to pop out.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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This means that bills get hearings, debates happen in public, and legislators are required to vote on issues instead of hiding behind process.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Trump has also proposed slashing nearly $800 million from the park system’s roughly $3-billion operating budget.—
Jack Dolan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
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Boston alone has proposed slashing 568 positions in a budget proposal passed by the local school committee in March, resulting in slashes to currently vacant positions but also including hundreds of layoffs.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The competition’s main host, the United States, is lashing out at the world, hunting conflict across three continents.—
Franklin Leonard,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
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The whole episode, Kyle is a pendulum swinging between anger and sadness, between lashing out and injuring Amanda, and looking to be the victim.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The dragons stalk the island, flicking their huge tongues in hopes of picking up the scent of a deer, wild boar, or water buffalo — the latter two species introduced by humans — or rodents and other smaller reptiles, including baby Komodo dragons.—
Craig Stanford,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
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This could be the bookworm equivalent of jet setting, perhaps—seeking out the places we’re taken to while flicking the pages.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the two bond in short order, our previously flailing hero shapes up very quickly indeed, soon shedding his substance abuse problems and entering a healthy relationship with dreamy social worker Oscar (Diego Calva).—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
16 May 2026
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On The Comeback, the flailing sitcom actress Valerie Cherish (played by Lisa Kudrow) is accustomed to sacrificing her dignity for the spotlight.—
Caroline Framke,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Verb
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In an even more meta moment, Amazon interrupted its own Upfront with actual ads with Summer House star Paige DeSorbo flogging certain items to an increasingly frustrated audience.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
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White-Jacket did cause a stir with its discussion of the arbitrary and cruel use of flogging in the US Navy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At the surrounding tables patrons were talking, laughing, slapping one another heartily on the back.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
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From Rome, Rubio announced the administration was slapping additional sanctions on Cuba.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flagellating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flagellating. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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