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
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
By then, Achiuwa had already beaten Tyler Kolek in a foot race to the ball, and Brown flailed his arms in frustration while screaming for his All-Star to get off the floor.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
The teams Houston (12-5) After the season’s first three weeks, the Texans were flailing about.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
On Netflix Summer 2026 | Comedy A forty-year-old executive hopes to save his flailing career by joining a group of twenty-somethings on a wild three-day bachelor party, after he’s inadvertently added to their group text.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flail
Verb
Try to reinvigorate this flailing movie studio.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
By then, Achiuwa had already beaten Tyler Kolek in a foot race to the ball, and Brown flailed his arms in frustration while screaming for his All-Star to get off the floor.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
The teams Houston (12-5) After the season’s first three weeks, the Texans were flailing about.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
On Netflix Summer 2026 | Comedy A forty-year-old executive hopes to save his flailing career by joining a group of twenty-somethings on a wild three-day bachelor party, after he’s inadvertently added to their group text.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flail
Verb
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In the end, the town promises a simpler life, sipping strong espressos beneath fluttering palm trees.—
Dana Sauchelli,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Jan. 2026
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Butterflies and hummingbirds flutter about and two turkey vultures—with their six-foot wingspans—soar overhead.—
Devorah Lev-Tov,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When a dog repeatedly wags and whips its tail against hard surfaces, the tip can split open, bruise or break.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Benbrook whips Diamond Hill-Jarvis Benbrook stayed on pace for a playoff berth in District 8-4A as the Lady Bobcats thumped Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis 55-7.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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With the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other instruments of force as his bludgeon, Khamenei has chosen bloodshed over conciliation.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
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But in the months leading up to the vote, the topic increasingly turned into a political bludgeon and partisan blame game.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
20 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Pelagic rays flap their fins in a smooth, bird-like motion.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
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For example, malware could send commands to rapidly open and close circuit breakers, a technique known as flapping.—
Saman Zonouz,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Didn't seem to be hiding anything.—
Sarah Prior,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
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But hiding behind this benign climate state was all that titanic power flowing through the climate system.—
Adam Frank,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For instance, Jaime Cardona grows grapes, passionfruit, sugar cane and other crops with his nine-year-old daughter and wife in the town of Saipina, 25 kilometers east of the reserve.—
Brianna Randall,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Breeds commonly seen in Milwaukee – such as pit bull mixes, cane corsos and mastiffs – can’t tolerate more than 15 minutes in freezing weather.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On the day Ujlaky vanished, prosecutors alleged Dickey choked her by wrapping a ligature around her neck before raping her and slashing her throat, according to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
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The Kings were awarded a power play a minute later when Jacob Bernard-Docker was whistled for slashing, and the visitors didn’t waste the chance.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The federal government has used Medicare funding as a cudgel to get hospitals to follow its priorities before, including as a way to force desegregation of wards in the program's early years.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2026
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The actions also follow the emphasis the administration places on economic pressure and wins as a deterrent to war and a cudgel for peace.—
Shelley Inglis,
The Conversation,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flail. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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