1
as in fluttering
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 whipping
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
gruesome evidence that the prisoner had been flailed
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in flapping
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of flailing
Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
In its anguished flailing, the memoir managed to burn bridges with his father, brother, and stepmother overnight.
—Alexander Larman, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
On the ground in Wedgewood Houston, a tiny bird fought an army of enclosing fire ants, wildly kicking and flailing.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Sep. 2025
The last one, right below the zone, had Crow-Armstrong flailing to end the frame.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
The film’s abundant humor and humanity are both rooted in DiCaprio’s ability to contain both of those people at once — to span the distance between those opposite shores while flailing towards each of them with equal desperation.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2025
The Red Sox continue to get help from the flailing Houston Astros, who lost 6-0 to the Athletics late Wednesday night for the club’s fifth straight loss.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
And, back at home, his FBI director, Kash Patel was flailing in a pair of congressional hearings this week when asked about Epstein.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
Weeks 3 and 4, when Denver was flailing.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2025
But as the public struggled to make sense of the event, media organizations were flailing too.
—Taylor Lorenz, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2025
Thanks to that Hail Mary pass of a merger proposal Alex brought in to block her billionaire then-boyfriend and handsome skeezeball Paul Marks from scooping up the flailing network, the merged networks of UBA and NBN are now known as UBN.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
The Democratic Party brand is in the gutter and at least one of its aspiring standard bearers is settling for chasing his own ambitions instead of trying to effectively pump life into the flailing party.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
Clark, who knelt beside Foo 30 years ago when the surfer was pulled lifeless from the sea, watched Slebir’s epic ride that day from the back of a Sea-Doo, set up to pull flailing surfers aboard.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
In its anguished flailing, the memoir managed to burn bridges with his father, brother, and stepmother overnight.
—Alexander Larman, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
On the ground in Wedgewood Houston, a tiny bird fought an army of enclosing fire ants, wildly kicking and flailing.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Sep. 2025
The last one, right below the zone, had Crow-Armstrong flailing to end the frame.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
Within those questions is the greatness revealed when the image moves again, when charging Eagles safety Reed Blankenship lifts a hand to tip Mayfield’s fourth-quarter throw, when the flailing football tumbles into linebacker Jihaad Campbell’s arms near the pylon.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
The film’s abundant humor and humanity are both rooted in DiCaprio’s ability to contain both of those people at once — to span the distance between those opposite shores while flailing towards each of them with equal desperation.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2025
The Red Sox continue to get help from the flailing Houston Astros, who lost 6-0 to the Athletics late Wednesday night for the club’s fifth straight loss.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
And, back at home, his FBI director, Kash Patel was flailing in a pair of congressional hearings this week when asked about Epstein.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
Weeks 3 and 4, when Denver was flailing.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2025
But as the public struggled to make sense of the event, media organizations were flailing too.
—Taylor Lorenz, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2025
Thanks to that Hail Mary pass of a merger proposal Alex brought in to block her billionaire then-boyfriend and handsome skeezeball Paul Marks from scooping up the flailing network, the merged networks of UBA and NBN are now known as UBN.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
The Democratic Party brand is in the gutter and at least one of its aspiring standard bearers is settling for chasing his own ambitions instead of trying to effectively pump life into the flailing party.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flailing
Verb
-
While Manchester United’s Altay Bayindir (6ft 6in) was left flapping at a Declan Rice corner as Riccardo Calafiori nodded home, Raya easily dealt with similar issues later in the game, catching one delivery and punching the other well away from danger.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
-
These behaviors included; lifting one leg, spinning around on a perch, and flapping their wings on command (Figure 1B).—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The wind was whipping this past week at McGrath Stadium, mist in the air.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Video from Camiguin Island, posted by the Philippines Department of the Interior and Local Government, showed fierce winds and ocean water whipping past houses onto a residential street.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Males and females both wave their legs and the waving was not related to courtship or competition.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Coomes has seen unexplained orbs fluttering in upstairs offices on the security cameras.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The Only Murders in the Building actress was the epitome of bridal glam, and went for fluttering lashes, blushed cheeks and peachy pink lips for the occasion.—
Starr Bowenbank,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Johnson sat in the makeup chair for two hours undergoing a transformation process that resulted in the cauliflower ears, a specific browbone piece and other prosthetics, plus hiding his tattoos.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Keep scrolling to shop the best deals on plush bedding and area rugs hiding in Amazon’s home department.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Throughout the writhing and the screaming, Julia’s fortitude wears down a defiant Davina, whose history with Lovat feeds the moment.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Oxy barely survived the downturn, slashing its dividend from 79 cents per share each quarter down to just one penny.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
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Even if the game was already lost, there might not have been a penalty more maddening than Nick Cousins slashing Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov just as his team began an odd-man rush.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Patients first experience twitching or weakness in a limb, often followed by slurred speech.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flailing. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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