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

Goalkeeper Emi Martinez floated a ball over Ezri Konsa to Rogers, who exchanged passes with Joao Pedro before shifting sharply onto his right foot and whipping a shot just wide of David Raya’s far post.

— Liam Twomey, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Stand mixers are the best choice for things like kneading bread dough, whipping egg whites and mixing cookies, but blenders are best for breaking down more substantial foods to create beautifully smooth purees.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of whipping

Verb

Rather than backing Sanon, Badio supported another candidate, Haitian Superior Court Justice Windelle Coq Thélot, who later died while in hiding.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026
Following a tip from a Holocaust survivor, Joseph is investigating the possibility that Russel might be a Nazi in hiding.

— Zac Ntim, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of hiding

Verb

As well as slashing the number of third-year visas to 5,000, the number of second-year visas is being cut from 57,000 to 45,000.

— Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
Swelling Workforce Channel 4 is slashing its workforce by 28%, with around half of commissioning roles at risk.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of slashing

Verb

These are just two of the many scenes of destruction the hurricane has left in Hawaii after lashing the state’s western islands with heavy rain, widespread flooding and tropical-storm-force winds on Monday and Tuesday.

— Liz Kreutz, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026
This week’s meeting of G20 finance ministers underscored rising global trade tensions, with several countries, including the US, lashing out at China.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of lashing

Verb

At one point, while casually flicking the fly rod in his right hand, Tapper listed other California Democrats expected to enter the 2028 race, including former Vice President Kamala Harris.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
The fire had engulfed the garage roof, with flames flicking nearby trees and threatening to spread beyond the garage.

— Rob Moore, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of flicking

Verb

So, why now, halfway through the first take of the shoot, was Axl flailing his arm like a windmill with his jacket hurling around through space like a lasso?

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026
Much of the time, you’re left to put up with untrained screen actors not knowing where to stand or look, or who don’t know not to block the camera’s view with flailing hands.

— Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of flailing

Verb

The Taliban bans filming in public areas where flogging as well as stoning takes place, but MA says that individuals who oppose the practice have been discretely filming these events, then posting the video.

— Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 8 Sep. 2026
Rubin, who has built a business flogging sports merchandising and collectibles, is renowned for his annual White Party in the exclusive Hamptons, near New York City.

— James Horncastle, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of flogging

Verb

Arch Manning's joking comments at a news conference about a fake video of coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe erupted in controversy.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Texas quarterback Arch Manning has apologized for his public reaction to a video that was altered by AI to show Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe and knocking her to the ground.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of slapping

Browse Nearby Words

flagellates

flagellating

flagged

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“Flagellating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flagellating. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of flagellating

verb

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