Thesaurus results for FLAIL

flail 1 of 2

verb

Definition of flail

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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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

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 gambit ended up paying off as Ferrer got Devers to flail at an outside slider to record the inning-ending strikeout. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 19 July 2026 The movements are entirely reflexive, yet the arm that flails more predicts future handedness with a high level of accuracy. — Quanta Magazine, 13 July 2026 And regardless, such arrangements are unlikely to save a flailing labor market. — Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026 Then Mookie Betts drove him in with a comebacker over the mound and past flailing second baseman Edouard Julien. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for flail

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flail

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

Iguanas usually go viral for other reasons Iguanas are usually quick-moving and run away from their would-be captors with their long tails whipping behind them.

— Julia Gomez, USA Today, 24 July 2026
The attorney questioned whether a person would be able to smell alcohol at the same time that wind generated by 18-wheelers and other vehicles whipping by on the highway was blowing, as was occurring during the officer’s time with Hampton.

— Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 July 2026

Definition of whip

Verb

Maybe the manager didn’t feel like flapping their arms to dry them, seeing as how the cookline handwash sink didn’t have paper towels or a blower.

— David J. Neal July 24, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Generally, to be considered autistic, a person must have exhibited social difficulties and repetitive behaviors—such as hand-flapping and spinning—from before the age of 5.

— Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

Definition of flap

Verb

The tree in Athens isn’t likely to make it through the construction of a new $225 million courthouse, despite some interest in preserving the piece of history hiding in plain sight.

— Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
The tinkerer believes there is always another possibility hiding beneath the surface of failure.

— Lintao "LT" Lu, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of hide

Verb

Following the British Grand Prix weekend, Antonelli found his lead slashed to only 25 points over his teammate George Russell, who built on his second-place finish in Barcelona and his victory in Spielberg with a P2 on home turf at Silverstone.

— Yara Elshebiny, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
One such example is his launching of the pharmaceutical company Cost Plus Drugs in 2022, which is able to slash the cost of prescription medications by selling mostly generic products without the typical middlemen of Pharmacy Benefit Managers.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 20 July 2026

Definition of slash

Noun

Politicians on the right, from Bailey to Trump, have frequently used Illinois’ move to eliminate money bond as a cudgel against Democrats, blaming Chicago’s violent crime on the change.

— Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
Their dynamic is instead a cudgel to beat the film into an even more revolting shape.

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 10 July 2026

Definition of cudgel

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flag-wavers

flail

flailed

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Style

“Flail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flail. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of flail

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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