1
as in flapped
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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2
as in whipped
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
gruesome evidence that the prisoner had been flailed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flailed
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 Braves were a ratings hit, and when the team flailed and went up for sale, Turner’s company became its owner in 1976.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Gorman flailed at a 96 mph full-count four-seamer.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026
After being placed in a government vehicle, Ferreira Borges allegedly kicked, flailed, and screamed obscenities at officers, officials said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
On an odd-man rush, New Jersey's Jesper Bratt scored the go-ahead goal for his second score of the game from the left circle off a perfect pass from Jack Hughes as John Gibson flailed around in an attempt to stop the puck.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Coach Hansen flailed his fist, calling it the biggest win in school history, the program’s second NorCal victory after Tuesday’s resounding 84-58 home win over Destiny Christian-Sacramento.
—Mitch Stephens, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Mar. 2026
His left leg flailed a bit in the air.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 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
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
The Braves were a ratings hit, and when the team flailed and went up for sale, Turner’s company became its owner in 1976.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Gorman flailed at a 96 mph full-count four-seamer.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026
After being placed in a government vehicle, Ferreira Borges allegedly kicked, flailed, and screamed obscenities at officers, officials said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
On an odd-man rush, New Jersey's Jesper Bratt scored the go-ahead goal for his second score of the game from the left circle off a perfect pass from Jack Hughes as John Gibson flailed around in an attempt to stop the puck.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Coach Hansen flailed his fist, calling it the biggest win in school history, the program’s second NorCal victory after Tuesday’s resounding 84-58 home win over Destiny Christian-Sacramento.
—Mitch Stephens, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Mar. 2026
His left leg flailed a bit in the air.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flailed
Verb
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Kerolin’s head was down and eventually so was Shaw’s, her run stopped, arms flapped against her side.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
The jacket hugged every contour of your torso and never flapped in the wind.—
The Editors,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The combination of sugar snap peas and whipped tofu with a sizzling oil drizzle is a meatless stunner.—
Ellie Krieger,
Washington Post,
10 June 2026
-
Merchants in fine suits rode in carriages or on sedan chairs while enslaved people lugging carts and crates wore dirty, threadbare clothing and could be publicly whipped or burned to death for misbehavior.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The two were often seen with what appeared to be unwashed, exposed roots that fluttered into beach waves down their backs.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
12 June 2026
-
The next day, a black flag fluttered by the hospital entrance to mourn those killed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Verb
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By pioneering reusable boosters that can land autonomously, the company slashed launch costs and ramped up its launch cadence—suddenly making low earth orbit more accessible to a broad range of customers.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
-
Levin said the increase in visits was necessary because the agency slashed staffing of its oversight offices.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The archipelago is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
The archipelago is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Verb
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The next batter in Grahm Hutton flicked a chopper to third base and Harrington went on contact.—
Tim Crowley,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
-
After a while, each death was like being flicked by a rubber band.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Parts of Anne Arundel County were thrashed by high winds Friday night as a severe storm rolled through the area, downing trees and causing power outages.—
Racquel Bazos,
Baltimore Sun,
13 June 2026
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The four-time World Cup winners have won eight straight matches dating back to September 2025 and just thrashed Finland 4-0 last weekend.—
Tom Bogert,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Verb
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Fireworks lit up the night sky, people honked horns on jampacked streets and firefighters — from their trucks — slapped high-fives with delirious fans.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
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Do not read this if my editors have slapped a closeup of cochliomyia hominivorax, aka nightmare flesh-eating parasite, on top of this column.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flailed. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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