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

He’s spent the last week whipping senators to support it and even enlisted former Alabama football coach Nick Saban to dial up undecided lawmakers, according to people familiar with the matter.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Battered cars with numbers sprayed on their sides are whipping around the dirt track of the Lebanon Valley Speedway, loose fenders flopping like overgrown bangs in the swirling dust.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of whipping

Verb

Risk intelligence gives marketplaces visibility into emerging threats as well as those hiding in plain sight.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
In videos posted to his Instagram account, Gallegos can be seen hiding underneath a table as plumes of dust burst in the air and parts of the ceiling crashed into the ground.

— Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of hiding

Verb

One of those attacks was a bear slashing a man’s chest outside his home in North Canaan.

— Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
Senate Republicans have expressed wariness in recent days about the prospect of slashing those standards, which advocates say help keep kids safe and healthy.

— Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of slashing

Verb

Powerful winds and lashing rain flipped over a truck in Zhejiang’s Wenzhou, a video posted on TikTok on Sunday showed.

— Reuters, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026
The president has responded to the MAGA criticism by lashing out repeatedly at dissenters, prompting Greene – once a top Trump supporter – not to run for reelection and Massie to lose his primary.

— Zac Anderson, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of lashing

Verb

Within a few minutes, Hutchinson has his mobile out, happily flicking through the screensavers.

— Paul Taylor, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
His violent men — Scott’s sinister dad and Melton’s sad one — light cigarettes by flicking matches on their ears and teeth.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of flicking

Verb

Whining, crying, kicking, hitting, flailing, dropping to the floor, holding their breath, going limp, running away or throwing things are all part of the picture.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Trump is merely flailing for options that might avoid the humiliation of losing the war or the risk of escalating beyond standoff strikes.

— KORI SCHAKE, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 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

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 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of flagellating

verb

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