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

Relevance

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

In whipping rain and wind in New Jersey, the New York Giants held on for a 12-7 win in their first game since quarterback Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of whipping

Verb

The series brings 10 strangers together in an institutional setting for seven days, with each person trying to guess the true occupations of the others while hiding their own identities.

— Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Officers found Blanco hiding in the basement of a nearby home and recovered a knife from a panel box, police said.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of hiding

Verb

These next-generation systems aim to extract far more energy from uranium while slashing waste stockpiles.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2026
Right now, Amazon has the TCL Nxtpaper 11 (Gen 2) on sale for 31% off, slashing $90 from its already affordable price.

— Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 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

Coming for a variety of longtime critics of the merger, opposition rose and suspicion about the settlement served to pour gasoline on an already flicking fire.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
He’s getting hit sometimes, and just flicking this ball out there.

— Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of flicking

Verb

The second-best moment came in Ireland to start this season, when UNC held on to beat what now looks like a flailing TCU team in a rematch.

— David Ubben, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
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

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

Hochman said the nannies were caught on video spanking, slapping or hitting the children.

— News Editor, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Residents have reported paying excessive amounts to retrieve their vehicles from tow yards, with companies sometimes slapping extra fees on drivers who contact the police, according to council members.

— Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of slapping

Browse Nearby Words

flagellates

flagellating

flagged

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Flagellating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flagellating. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of flagellating

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

abscond

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes