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

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 Tidwell fell behind in the count 3-1 to Duran, but got Duran to flail at a sweeper out of the zone for strike two, then locked him up on another sweeper to punch him out. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026 Wang joined in June of last year as the centerpiece of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s effort to revamp his company’s flailing artificial intelligence strategy. — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flail

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flail

Verb

These days, Jackson and her drag king character live in Ramsgate, a port town on England’s southeast coast where – much like Pat’s flag – strings of Union Jacks flutter along the harbor.

— Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
For Arbaeen, the lights inside the shrine and the flags fluttering from its golden dome are switched to red – the color of vengeance.

— Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of flutter

Verb

If a recipe calls for 1 cup (unwhipped) whipping cream, substitute 2 cups whipped dessert topping, such as Cool Whip.

— Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2026
The first drops of espresso are vigorously whipped with sugar into a thick espumita froth inside the cup, before the rest is poured in, causing the caramelly-brown foam to rise to the top.

— Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of whip

Verb

Above the dancers flapped a ring of American flags, each representing a military veteran from the community who had passed away.

— Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Thanks in part to a National Science Foundation (NSF) fellowship, Drew explored several designs for flying and became interested in creating robots that flap their wings in a way similar to real-life creatures.

— Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of flap

Noun

This is also the time to thin out crowded canes and remove any that are too weak to bear fruit.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026
There is no greater cautionary tale than Australia’s cane toads, whose now 200-million strong population continues to wreak havoc 91 years after being introduced to deal with the country’s cane beetle problem.

— Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of cane

Verb

Now, hundreds of regional airports across the country have lost commercial service entirely or seen their flight schedules slashed.

— Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
China has slashed its imports by 4 million barrels per day to 5 million barrels per day, which has played a key role in keeping crude prices from surging higher during the Iran war, McNally told CNBC.

— Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of slash

Noun

While lawmakers have mostly thrown their backing behind the bill, some are wary of granting the president even more leeway to impose import taxes as a foreign policy cudgel.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 31 July 2026
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

Definition of cudgel

Browse Nearby Words

flag-wavers

flail

flailed

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Style

“Flail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flail. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of flail

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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