1
as in to flutter
to move or cause to move with a striking motion
started to flail his arms wildly when he spied a bat in the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to whip
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
gruesome evidence that the prisoner had been flailed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flail
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Starmer — who is facing relentless domestic criticism over a flailing economy and his appointment of the disgraced Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, while grappling with a surging far-right opposition — will be praying for a smooth visit.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The flailing Mets returned home Tuesday to a quieter reception than manager Carlos Mendoza and his players anticipated with the club trying to snap an 11-game losing streak.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Gorman flailed at a 96 mph full-count four-seamer.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flail
Verb
As Frances ascends in the art world, Avery flails financially and emotionally — and the nationwide Adderall shortage isn’t helping.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Starmer — who is facing relentless domestic criticism over a flailing economy and his appointment of the disgraced Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, while grappling with a surging far-right opposition — will be praying for a smooth visit.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The flailing Mets returned home Tuesday to a quieter reception than manager Carlos Mendoza and his players anticipated with the club trying to snap an 11-game losing streak.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Gorman flailed at a 96 mph full-count four-seamer.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flail
Verb
-
Homemade fan art of Jacks, the series’s love interest, fluttered out of a collector’s-edition case.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Iran’s flag before the 1979 revolution — green, white and red with a lion and a rising sun — flutters from many overhangs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The ride travels on an elliptical track and whips riders around bends.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Real estate agents whipped out their phones to put a hard sell on anything east of I-95.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Iran practices honest bludgeon work.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
But Beshear hasn’t turned Trump-bashing into a 24/7 vocation, or a weight-lifting contest where the winner is the critic wielding the heaviest bludgeon.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Per the authors, when dolphins flap their tails up and down, the kicking motion pushes water backward and produces swirling currents of varying sizes.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
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Emery will argue his fine-margins approach, however blunt Villa presently appear in attack, could have been validated if Ollie Watkins’ close-range shot was not straight at Stefan Ortega or if Lucas Digne had not flapped his arms inside the box to give away a penalty.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Without sofas, curtains, or rugs to soften things, your color palette has nowhere to hide.—
Natasha Bazika,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
-
Many fish live, hide and eat the small shrimp and crabs that are within the seaweed, which made her snorkeling adventure more exciting.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Betye Saar practically levitates into the room wearing a Max Mara jacket that resembles a bird’s plumage, with a butter-yellow silk Dior dress grazing the ground behind her and a cane in her hand.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
Bad Bunny went full costume, carrying a cane and dressing up as an older version of himself with gray hair and special effects makeup to add years to his face.—
Beatrice Dupuy,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
Verb
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Lufthansa, one of the biggest carriers in Europe, slashed 20,000 short-haul flights through October due in part to fuel costs.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
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Earlier in the film, Kenobi slashes off the arm of a creature who was known then as Walrus Man and is known now as Ponda Baba.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
Noun
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The three main mayoral candidates seem to have finally prioritized the problem, or at least understand its value as a cudgel against each other.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2026
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The ostensible fear is that of identity hardening into a cudgel, foreshortening a character’s emotional palette.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flail. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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