Synonyms of flailing

flailing 1 of 2

noun

as in flapping

Related Words

• flapping
• waving
• writhing
• twitching
• squirming
• fiddling
• wriggling
• fidgeting
• locomotion
• squirm
• mobility
• motility
• shifting
• motion
• migration
• dislocation
• relocation
• stirring
• movement
• motivity
• move
• shift
• stir

Dissimilar Words

• immobility
• inertia
• motionlessness
• stop
• stillness
• termination
• expiration
• halt
• ending
• cessation
• pause
• finish
• lapse
• shutdown
• stoppage
• discontinuance
• inertness
• surcease
• shutoff

flailing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of flail

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

• flapping
• fluttering
• whipping
• waving
• flopping
• swinging
• swaying
• beating
• knocking
• flicking
• banging
• smacking
• pounding
• thumping
• flickering
• flitting
• battering
• oscillating
• fanning
• throbbing
• buffeting
• pulsing
• undulating
• spanking
• palpitating

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

• whipping
• hiding
• slashing
• flicking
• slapping
• lashing
• thrashing
• hitting
• switching
• knocking
• cutting
• punching
• flagellating
• flogging
• smacking
• banging
• licking
• pounding
• spanking
• scourging
• tanning
• whaling
• whacking
• mauling
• batting
• clapping
• strapping
• leathering
• swiping
• clipping
• horsewhipping
• beating
• thumping
• rawhiding
• cowhiding
• birching
• swatting
• boxing
• pelting
• bashing
• pummeling
• thwacking
• cudgeling
• clubbing
• bopping
• slugging
• battering
• paddling
• clobbering
• caning
• quirting
• smiting
• cracking
• clouting
• hammering
• mangling
• bludgeoning
• knouting
• touching up
• socking
• pasting
• buffeting
• lambasting
• cuffing
• slogging
• lathering
• busting
• roughing
• belaboring
• working over
• walloping
• belting
• blackjacking
• drubbing
• slating
• pistol-whipping
• whopping
• tromping
• fustigating
• lamming
• threshing
• basting
• fibbing
• lacing
• bunging
• whupping
• pommeling

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of flailing

Noun

Horgan remains a magnetic screen presence and a sharp comic writer, making Alex’s flailing ever enjoyable despite her aimlessness. — Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026

Unai Emery’s penchant for rehabilitating flailing, once prodigious talents now extends to Alejandro Garnacho. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 30 July 2026

This is not the approach of a president who’s running a war; this is the flailing of a man who’s in over his head and is reacting to events, rather than guiding them. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

For all his bobbing and flailing, and sensitive shaping of the music, conductor Christian Capocaccia evinced little attention to singers. — Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 11 Apr. 2026

But his role was not to fix a flailing business, but, rather, to keep a roaring flame alive. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 4 Mar. 2026

Somatic shaking involves a few minutes of fast, energetic movement like jumping, arm flailing, and foot stomping. — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Mar. 2026

Not only are customers being driven mad by the bots getting orders completely wrong, but even some company executives are also being worn down by the flailing effort. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 26 Feb. 2026

But even if part of the point is to show that healing doesn’t happen overnight, the catharsis is too vague to reward all the flailing distress. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026

Verb

All of that would be bad enough if the Mamdani administration at least had a plan for turning around our flailing public school system. — Ciara Jackson, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026

Even with its offense flailing, the Trojans somehow cobbled together a touchdown drive in the second quarter, thanks to three Wisconsin penalties, all of which handed them first downs. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026

The offensive line was atrocious, giving up pressure after pressure and flailing helplessly in the run game too. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026

The tone was set by the penalty Hornicek conceded in the fourth minute, flailing at what should have been a simple ball to collect as Ephron Mason-Clark rushed towards him, the keeper then catching the feet of Cherif. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2026

The radical group believes that sacrificing three people is the key to saving humanity — when all Tyler wants to do is save his flailing acting career. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2026

So, why now, halfway through the first take of the shoot, was Axl flailing his arm like a windmill with his jacket hurling around through space like a lasso? — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026

Much of the time, you’re left to put up with untrained screen actors not knowing where to stand or look, or who don’t know not to block the camera’s view with flailing hands. — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026

Her arms and legs flailing, the infant falls silent, according to the arrest report. — Jane Park, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Aug. 2026