Thesaurus results for FLAGELLATING

flagellating

verb

present participle of flagellate

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 flagellating Some go further, flagellating themselves or using a sword to strike their forehead to draw blood. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flagellating

Verb

Onstage, Shakira unleashed her inner rock star during the song, working the stage and the mic stand in a purple corset and matching fringe pants and whipping her lengthy curls like a weapon.

— Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Olise kept his intentions hidden to the last, shaping up to cross the ball to the back post before sharply turning his hips and whipping his pass into the goalscorer’s path, breaking two defensive lines along the way.

— Thom Harris, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of whipping

Verb

Failing to disclose or intentionally hiding assets can make a prenup more vulnerable to being challenged in court.

— Jasmin Suknanan, CNBC, 6 July 2026
The find suggests one of NASA’s most successful planet hunters may still have plenty of surprises hiding in its archives.

— Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 6 July 2026

Definition of hiding

Verb

Then Ferrari’s team reboots the underlying technology—centralizing server costs, cleaning up sprawling codebases—while slashing costs.

— Chris Dobstaff, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Higgins said her solution is to speed up permitting by slashing red tape — both for these types of large, city projects and for home and business owners trying to install resilient upgrades.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026

Definition of slashing

Verb

Back at the dilapidated family home, Edgar grows even surlier, lashing into gentle-natured Joe for being an under-achiever compared to his brother and causing Thya to become apprehensive about Ed’s proximity to sharp objects.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
Unfortunately, this can lead to some individuals lashing out in response to their own insecurities, hate and low bar of aptitude, which is confirmed by the tenor of the attacks.

— Jallicia Jolly, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of lashing

Verb

The Argentine legend unlocked the Cape Verde defense in the 29th minute, controlling a long diagonal pass with one touch in the box and promptly flicking it over the head of a charging Vozinha.

— Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Mayele put Congo ahead 10 minutes later when flicking past Nematov at the near post and was mobbed by teammates and even substitutes, who raced off the bench and across the field to join in the wild celebrations.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 June 2026

Definition of flicking

Verb

So, that is one gig at a completely unnecessary addition to the sports calendar, created by corporate interests for the sole intention of flogging products to people who do not really like sport… and another at the Enhanced Games.

— Matt Slater, New York Times, 23 May 2026
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

Definition of flogging

Verb

There was briefly some concern earlier this year that Chestnut wouldn’t be able to participate in the 2026 competition after he was arrested for allegedly slapping a man in an Indiana bar.

— Kyla Guilfoil, NBC news, 5 July 2026
Chestnut competed in the event while serving a 180-day probation sentence after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from drunkenly slapping a man in an Indiana bar earlier this year.

— Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of slapping

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flagellates

flagellating

flagged

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“Flagellating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flagellating. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of flagellating

verb

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