flail 1 of 2

verb

Definition of flailnext
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

flail

2 of 2

noun

as in bludgeon

Related Words

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 flail
Verb
The inebriated father who sometimes leapt upon his sleeping children, fists flailing? — Jason Prokowiew, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026 Another turn in a winning season that would have seemed improbable two months ago, when the Phillies flailed and manager Rob Thomson lost his job. — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 27 June 2026 Reese and the Dream played Indiana on Thursday as well, where Reese was caught mocking Clark by flailing around during the stoppage in play. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026 The chaos allows a Triarchy ship to harpoon Jace's dragon, Vermax, dragging the flailing creature down into the ocean, along with Rhaenyra's heir. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for flail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flail
  1. flutter
  2. whip
  3. bludgeon
  4. flap
  5. hide
  6. cane
  7. slash
  8. cudgel
Verb
  • This isn't the first time a butterfly motif has fluttered, so to speak, into Larsson's glam routine.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 6 July 2026
  • Just thinking of what his subjects, used to the continuity of antiquity, might have made of this makes the heart flutter.
    — Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026
Definition of flutter
Verb
  • Scotland carried the ball for 13 phases to enter Argentina's 22 and Hutchinson whipped an accurate long pass to Tuipulotu on the right wing who scored untouched.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • Olise kept his intentions hidden to the last, shaping up to cross the ball to the back post before sharply turning his hips and whipping his pass into the goalscorer’s path, breaking two defensive lines along the way.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of whip
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
Definition of bludgeon
Verb
  • Video from the group's livestream showed Luna flapping his wings on a branch before taking off.
    — Austin Turner, CBS News, 29 June 2026
  • Moist towels soothe necks, mist bottles spray short relief, hand fans flap in overdrive; motorized fans are held up to strangers at cafés, who have resorted to pouring water directly on their chests for cooling.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 27 June 2026
Definition of flap
Verb
  • The cover over the logo was cut precisely in the outline of the Levi’s logo – leaving no doubt what the tarp was hiding.
    — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • Wrap a wide ribbon multiple times around to hide the elastic to elevate the classic look.
    — Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 8 July 2026
Definition of hide
Noun
  • Aceh’s Sharia court ordered the two people to be whipped with a rattan cane 21 times each for kissing without being married.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Snappers, snakes, toy pistols with caps and toy canes with caps are the only fireworks allowed.
    — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026
Definition of cane
Verb
  • The most recent controversy came in January, when the county paid $135,000 to settle a lawsuit that accused Kramer of improperly slashing a property’s value by millions of dollars — then retaliating against the employee who raised alarms about it.
    — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
  • Last year, the charity Oxfam noted that G7 countries, which collectively account for around 75% of all official development assistance, were set to slash their aid spending by 28% in 2026 compared to 2024 levels.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 6 July 2026
Definition of slash
Noun
  • The sports question has become a political cudgel for Republicans with an eye on growing divisions among Democrats over stances on certain transgender issues that polls show are unpopular with a majority of voters.
    — Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2026
  • The measure’s main backer is the SEIU United Health Workers West, whose president, Dave Regan, has a long track record of using ballot measures as a cudgel to win concessions from labor adversaries.
    — Evelyn Ronan, Sacbee.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of cudgel

Browse Nearby Words

flag-wavers
flail
flailed
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Cite this Entry

“Flail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flail. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flail

Nglish: Translation of flail for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flail

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