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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flail
Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Gallego’s comment suggests that Democrats, flailing for an affirmative policy on the border and immigration, may also see employers, rather than workers, at the center of the debate.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 12 June 2025
Distressed by the record’s flailing fortunes, Crewe tried pressuring Atlantic to throw more support behind it.
—Jeff Gage, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2025
Through the icy porthole rubbed into Junior’s window, Inga Olsen wades toward them, arms flailing for balance.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for flail
Noun
The net worth of Tesla’s largest shareholder Musk plummeted $12 billion as the car company’s stock flailed, by far the largest daily loss of any billionaire tracked by Forbes.
—Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Gallego’s comment suggests that Democrats, flailing for an affirmative policy on the border and immigration, may also see employers, rather than workers, at the center of the debate.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 12 June 2025
Distressed by the record’s flailing fortunes, Crewe tried pressuring Atlantic to throw more support behind it.
—Jeff Gage, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2025
Through the icy porthole rubbed into Junior’s window, Inga Olsen wades toward them, arms flailing for balance.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for flail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flail
Verb
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What was supposed to be down and on the outside corner instead fluttered up and above the zone.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 July 2025
-
Every exploding firework rocket will eventually tumble and flutter down to the ground in a cloud of debris.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
4 July 2025
Verb
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The designer was lucky enough to snag some handwoven jacquard with gold thread from a Venetian palazzo, whipping it into a one-of-a-kind lampshade skirt.—
Ari Stark,
Footwear News,
15 July 2025
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Shake briefly to whip, then empty contents into a curved Hurricane glass and garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
11 July 2025
Noun
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And so Coetzee decided that El polaco would be his bludgeon against the dominance of English.—
Carey Baraka,
The Dial,
26 June 2025
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When the Republican Charles Sumner was struck down by a Southerner on the Senate floor, Raymond’s paper called for armed resistance by pistol, bludgeon, and bowie knife, if necessary.—
Matthew Karp,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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One float depicted him as an outlaw, riding a motorcycle through a window to freedom; another showed his big ears flapping triumphantly in the wind.—
David W. Brown,
New Yorker,
5 July 2025
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The moths were still able to flap their wings freely and turn in different directions.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 June 2025
Verb
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Such a deal is not going to bring about North Korea’s denuclearization, of course, and Pyongyang will likely attempt to cheat by hiding some of its nuclear facilities.—
ANDREI LANKOV,
Foreign Affairs,
8 July 2025
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Keep scrolling for more impressive Prime Day deals on hidden camera detectors hiding throughout the site, starting at $24.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Though Trump has deployed Vance on multiple foreign tours through their first 100 days in office, where the vice president has served as a messaging cudgel touting Trump’s isolationist foreign policy, the president himself is yet to take a trip overseas.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Apr. 2025
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The Trump administration has been using federal research funding as a cudgel.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Club World Cup gets mammoth final in PSG, Chelsea: The FIFA Club World Cup’s debut as a major 32-team event across the U.S. had its negatives -- notably slashed ticket prices to combat lousy crowds for some matches.—
Greg Cote
July 13,
Miami Herald,
13 July 2025
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As empty rows piled up, FIFA slashed prices dramatically — one Chelsea-Fluminense semifinal ticket fell to $13, less than a stadium beer.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
Noun
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Other dolls in the Fashionistas line include a blind Barbie who carries a cane, a Barbie with Down syndrome, and a Barbie who uses a wheelchair.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
People.com,
8 July 2025
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During their investigation, officers learned the woman’s 44-year-old son, Joseph Cavallaro, attacked his mother and beat her with a cane, prosecutors said.—
Paloma Chavez,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flail. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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