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
Kickboxing robots flailed wildly before falling over, and some sprinters crashed into rivals.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Aug. 2025
On Sunday, Merrill flailed at two sliders in the dirt from Tyler Glasnow before looking at a third down the middle for strike three to strand a runner in the first inning.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Aug. 2025
On Sunday, Merrill flailed at two sliders in the dirt from Tyler Glasnow before looking at a third down the middle for strike three to strand a runner in the first inning.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flailed
Verb
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Moytoy flapped his lips fast like an engine.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Aug. 2025
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Cunha, sitting on the turf, flapped his arms when Mbeumo failed to follow in for a tap-in.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Hakeem actually whipped his members to shut the government down.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
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Folding whipped topping gently into the pudding mixture keeps the filling fluffy and mousse-like.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Union Jack bunting fluttered overhead.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
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Concertgoers fluttered around the building, staying away from the barricaded stairs leading up to the upstairs balcony, which is inaccessible.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The media and entertainment conglomerate's stock notched gains as Paramount Global slashed its workforce more than 3% this summer and made other moves to restructure its struggling broadcast business.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
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If 2024 is any indication, coveted clothing and accessories from TikTok-popular brands will be majorly slashed in price (sometimes by as much as over 50 percent off).—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Conservatives on social media immediately lashed out at the news.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
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Some Bethpage fans lashed out in a way that added to the embarrassment of the day.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Replays suggested that Woltemade had flicked the ball in.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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The old reservoir flicked at the edge of my consciousness—like hearing your parents fighting but not grasping the stakes.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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English and Morikawa were thrashed in Friday morning foursomes by McIlroy and Fleetwood — a pairing ranked third of 132 on the European side — before being sent back out again together by Bradley.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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Mamdani, a democratic socialist and registered Democrat, thrashed the party establishment in New York City’s mayoral primary with his verve and his fierce commitment to making housing cheaper and childcare free.—
Harpers Magazine,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In a video posted just days before the competition started, Richter gets his butt slapped by his mentor.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
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The investigation, which includes an anti-dumping probe, comes just days after Mexican authorities slapped duties on an array of Chinese imports from textiles to steel and automotive parts.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flailed. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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