flagging 1 of 4

adjective

Definition of flaggingnext
1
as in sagging

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2
as in weary

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flagging

2 of 4

noun

as in exhaustion

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flagging

3 of 4

verb (1)

present participle of flag
1
as in drooping
to be limp from lack of water or vigor flowers flagging in the summer heat

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2
as in weakening
to lose bodily strength or vigor we flagged as we neared the end of the long mountain trail

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

flagging

4 of 4

verb (2)

present participle of flag
as in waving
to direct or notify by a movement or gesture flagged the cars into the other parking lot

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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 flagging
Adjective
Despite concerns that the conflict in the Middle East could further squeeze a flagging labor market, hiring has picked up in recent months following a miserable 2025 that saw fewer than 200,000 job gains. — ABC News, 11 June 2026 Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street’s board noted that the event began in 1989 as Old Tyme Days and was launched by business owners in an effort to boost the flagging downtown area. — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2026
Noun
The footnote says that while the locations of some gas lines were marked with painting and flagging, the location of the gas line that was struck by a third-party contractor had not been identified and marked. — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 1 July 2026 And how some close to him bristled when asked questions about his authoritarian streak and his departure from organizing, distractions that left the union’s power flagging. — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
This recent pullback is a perfect flagging situation that has held key levels of support and should bounce again with the potential to finally breakout. — Jay Woods, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026 SpaceX went public in June, but has since traded below its IPO price, with S&P projecting negative free cash flow through 2029 and Moody’s flagging Elon Musk’s concentrated voting power as a governance risk. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flagging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flagging
  1. wilting
  2. weary
  3. exhaustion
  4. drooping
  5. weakening
  6. waving
  7. tired
  8. limping
Adjective
  • Look for wilting flowers and any blooms forming seed pods at their base.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 30 June 2026
  • The first sign your peace lily is thirsty will be yellowing and wilting leaves.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026
Definition of wilting
Adjective
  • Walmart, Target and other retailers have been pushing discounts for the fall season, seeking to lure inflation-weary shoppers.
    — Anne D'Innocenzio, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • There were plenty of boulders to sit on, and even a chair someone hauled up for weary hikers.
    — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of weary
Noun
  • When leaders pour their love into the world outside and don't save any for themselves, the difference leads to exhaustion.
    — Gregory Stebbins, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Meganalisis said the results reflect a post-disaster mood defined by anger and emotional exhaustion.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of exhaustion
Verb
  • Do this for all faded, brown, or drooping blooms on the shrub.
    — Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 6 Aug. 2026
  • On June 15, Andy and Ruben’s mom, Chantal, returned home from walking the dog to find their son on the bathroom floor, shaking, with the left side of his face drooping.
    — Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Definition of drooping
Verb
  • Sansoni’s study suggests that years of scrolling on Instagram can weaken our ability to rely on these inner signals, essentially weakening our brain’s ability to accurately perceive its own face and body.
    — Nicole Karlis, Allure, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The danger Pelath is concerned about is when the river banks are saturated, some root systems let go, sending more trees into the river and weakening the banks.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakening
Verb
  • Just days before the fireworks and the flag waving of July 4, Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) quietly asked Maryland regulators for permission to take more money out of its customers’ pockets.
    — Tyrone E. Keys Jr, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Syrians gathered around the court in Damascus, chanting, clapping and waving the Syrian flag as news of the sentences spread.
    — Kinda Makieh, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of waving
Adjective
  • The new owners took over the keys to a tired and decaying club in the spring and have since overseen a summer renovation that has stretched from assembling a new first-team squad to restoring hot water to Hillsborough.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Despite all that staying power, glycerin and hyaluronic acid keep the full-coverage formula from feeling dry, while caffeine gives tired undereyes a brightening, de-puffing assist.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of tired
Noun
  • While many symptoms overlap between species, Koehler says dogs commonly develop lethargy, fever, limping, stiff or swollen joints, pale gums, bruising, or abnormal bleeding.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 15 July 2026
  • In recent days, young Knicks fans have been made to digest from their dreary Boomer elders heavy doses of old-timey hoops lore, but mainly about the 1970 title series, featuring Willis Reed’s limping, yet noble appearance in Game Seven, his injured leg shot up with painkillers.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
Definition of limping

Browse Nearby Words

flagged
flagging
flagon
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Cite this Entry

“Flagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flagging. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flagging

Nglish: Translation of flagging for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flagging

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