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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Cherry already has a soft spot for Biancani, never mind the grueling conditioning, including countless hours of running that whipped the Hornets into shape.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Ovechkin gathered the puck on his forehand, quickly turned it over to his backhand and whipped it into the net.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The president’s guests — which included top members of his administration, MAGA allies and big-time political donors — noshed on hors d’oeuvres and downed exotic cocktails while jazz music blared and burlesque dancers fluttered their fans.—
Garrett Haake,
NBC news,
3 Nov. 2025
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Union Jack bunting fluttered overhead.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Carmakers like Volkswagen warned of possible production risks, while Honda slashed its annual profit forecast after halting production at several plants.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
10 Nov. 2025
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The administration also slashed funding for climate science research at agencies like NOAA, NASA, and even USDA.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Picking sweet Julie mangoes from the big tree in the front yard of my childhood home; going to the beach where my late brother tried (and failed) to teach me to swim; visiting relatives during the summer in the very areas that were now being lashed by rain and wind.—
Grace White,
Essence,
29 Oct. 2025
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Vargas floated groups of migrants across the informal border crossing between Guatemala and Mexico on a makeshift raft made from wooden boards lashed to fat inner tubes.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Instead of slamming it home, Antetokounmpo soared over the defenders to make an improbable catch, landed and flicked an on-target pass to Rollins for a corner 3 before falling out of bounds to give Milwaukee a 14-point lead.—
Eric Nehm,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
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After initially suspecting a bullet or debris flicked up by a truck, the police ruled out both.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Giants followed that up by getting thrashed by the Eagles in Philadelphia this past Sunday.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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And that all came into play in Game 1, as the Jays thrashed the Los Angeles Dodgers, 11-4, at a raucous Rogers Centre on Friday night.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After Zelina Vega slapped Rhodes, Aldis booked a non-title match between Rhodes and Black for the main event.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
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The elder Ciattarelli slapped his forward with his right hand as his son, dressed in camouflage fatigues, approached for a hug.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flailed. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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