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
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Colorado spent six innings flailing away against Skenes before Mickey Moniak's sinking line-drive single to left-center with one out in the seventh.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
The 7-foot-4 phenom then flailed his right arm back and struck Reid in the neck.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
The Wild turned a corner scrum on the Avs’ side of the ice into a loose puck in front of Wedgie’s crease, and Minnesota’s Marcus Johansson slipped it past the Avs’ flailing netminder to trim the deficit to 3-1.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for flail
Verb
Some fans said the actor instead resembled an early-PlayStation-era cutscene character who robotically flails his limbs upon impact.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Colorado spent six innings flailing away against Skenes before Mickey Moniak's sinking line-drive single to left-center with one out in the seventh.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
The 7-foot-4 phenom then flailed his right arm back and struck Reid in the neck.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
The Wild turned a corner scrum on the Avs’ side of the ice into a loose puck in front of Wedgie’s crease, and Minnesota’s Marcus Johansson slipped it past the Avs’ flailing netminder to trim the deficit to 3-1.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for flail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flail
Verb
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Anderson said the warmth helps calm them down stops their eyes from fluttering.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
29 May 2026
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Advertisement Crossing an overpass into my western suburb of Baghdad, militia flags stamped with Ali Khamenei’s face fluttered in the wind.—
Nabil Salih,
Time,
26 May 2026
Verb
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The wind whipped her face and her little legs stretched higher and higher, pulling her into orbit.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
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Last month, as a steady, pre-rainy season wind whipped off the Atlantic Ocean, the sounds of samba, morna and jazz filled the streets.—
Ricci Shryock,
NPR,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Iran practices honest bludgeon work.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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The fathers, faces ruddy, prayed in Latin for her soul, black robes flapping in the wind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
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There is a whole class of flying machine known as Ornithopters with flapping wings, most of which have been notably unsuccessful.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
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If not too bad, it can be ignored and new growth should hide the blemishes.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2026
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Buddy was hiding in the bushes on the side of a desolate highway when he was found by a good Samaritan and brought to a rescue.—
Maryanne Dell,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Noun
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Most were put to cutting sugar cane and feeding the boiling houses, where the syrup was reduced over open fires, alongside coffee, cotton and indigo.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
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Instead of struggling to get your cane from the overhead bin or waiting for a flight attendant to get it from a plane closet for you, consider this folding cane that can fit under the seat in front of you.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
Verb
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On Tuesday, Missouri Promise PAC released a video ad that depicted Missouri as a race car competing against other states to slash taxes on a NASCAR-style track.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
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Crosby, a deputy city attorney endorsed by the county Democratic Party, had sent mailers contending Bailey’s promises to reduce city spending would slash funding for parks, libraries and homeless shelters.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Linda wields her absolute power over Bradley like a cudgel, exploiting his helplessness to emotionally abuse and manipulate him.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 May 2026
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The attempt by right-wing activists to use the collapse of Spirit Airlines as a cudgel against the Democrats is ironic and absurd.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flail. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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