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
  1. whipping
  2. hiding
  3. slashing
  4. lashing
  5. flicking
  6. flailing
  7. flogging
  8. slapping
Verb
  • Hanoi’s famous egg coffee—made by whipping egg yolks with sugar and condensed milk into a rich, velvety foam—was born during a time when fresh milk was scarce.
    — Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of whipping
Verb
  • Little does Sinon know, Odysseus and his men are hiding inside the horse to launch a sneak attack on Troy.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 July 2026
  • The philosopher Michael Sandel (Rhodes Scholar, Harvard professor) accuses elites of hiding their privilege behind spurious claims of merit.
    — Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • Retailers like Wayfair, Pottery Barn, West Elm, and Amazon are still slashing prices on some of the highest-quality pieces on the market.
    — Sarah Scott, Southern Living, 19 July 2026
  • San Francisco had already seen a Waymo smashed and torched by a crowd, and a man charged with slashing the tires of seventeen more.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of slashing
Verb
  • Relentless rains were lashing Texas Hill Country on Thursday, with flash flood emergencies reported across the region, rescues ongoing and waters rising to deadly levels.
    — Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 16 July 2026
  • Julian Quinones — Mexico/Al Qadsiah (-7) Quinones took his World Cup goal tally to four by lashing a loose ball into the roof of the net against England.
    — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of lashing
Verb
  • The action of continuously flicking a typical mouse wheel up and down can be slow and tedious as well difficult to control, even with infinite scroll wheels.
    — Shirl Leigh July 12, New Atlas, 12 July 2026
  • By flicking their tongues, snakes can detect the scent trails left by potential prey, such as rodents or birds, and accurately track and capture them even in the dark or in complex environments.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026
Definition of flicking
Verb
  • And regardless, such arrangements are unlikely to save a flailing labor market.
    — Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026
  • Then Mookie Betts drove him in with a comebacker over the mound and past flailing second baseman Edouard Julien.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of flailing
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
  • But when their panel ended, the sports stars got into a heated exchange that ended with Brady slapping Paul in the face.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • As seen in a video posted by Fanatics on Instagram and X, the former NFL quarterback traded words with Paul face-to-face before slapping him, and was ultimately pulled away.
    — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Definition of slapping

Browse Nearby Words

flagellates
flagellating
flagged
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Cite this Entry

“Flagellating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flagellating. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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