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
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
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
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And a Cut Absolute is whipping around upon seeing the person and walking away.
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Patrick Evans made it to the top step of the Motocross Best Trick event with his electric bike, whipping out a no-handed front flip to loud cheers from the crowd before climbing back up the ramp to celebrate.
Verb
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The country’s singular role in hiding Jews from their Nazi occupiers is well documented.
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The anti-Trump rage, the surge of younger, more educated progressive voters, the hunger for someone willing to fight on affordability with policy, message, and tone, in Albany and Washington — all of it was hiding in plain sight for anyone looking at the data rather than the tired, old playbook.
Verb
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Top brands are slashing prices on laptops and tablets, with discounts on favorites like Apple AirTags.
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While the marketplace’s official sale starts on June 23, some brands are already slashing prices, including Avidlove.
Verb
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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.
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Criminal Minds star Paget Brewster is apologizing after lashing out at a critic.
Verb
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The soon-to-be 26-year-old left winger scored at the end of the first half on a breakaway, casually flicking the ball past Haitian goalkeeper Johny Placide.
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The Americans were less cohesive without Pulisic in the second half, but Reyna still added the finishing touch by gliding into the box and toe-flicking home his first World Cup goal.
Verb
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But the show still makes its point that the world of this play has narcissistic aggressors and flailing victims, and those who fall into both of those categories.
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Their final side battle was ferocious and flailing.
Verb
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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.
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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.
Verb
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The refs started handing out technical fouls like free samples, slapping Thomas and Hines-Allen with a double technical.
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Prosecutors dropped all charges against a bouncer for allegedly slapping a bar patron in February.
Cite this Entry
“Flagellating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flagellating. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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