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
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Martin M. Looney, Hartford Courant, 20 Aug. 2025
Besides a full day of groundbreaking music, flailing fans can buy vintage and new merch, local food and drink, and enjoy immersive CBGB installations, including the notorious bar and stage from the original club.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Ellison arrives at Paramount well-prepared in terms of the executives he’s chosen to help right the flailing entertainment conglomerate, which has been under the rule of the Sumner Redstone family for more than three decades.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Fitzgerald went to Fonseca as the World Review, the highly respected literary publication she and her husband Desmond co-edited, was flailing financially.
—Jane Ciabattari
august 12, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
The central sanctuary has been flailing since Rudy Giuliani’s drug war pushed out the Limelight.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 11 Aug. 2025
The entire cast is flailing around like a bunch of Sims who have been trapped in a room with no doors.
—Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025
His portrayal of a parent trying to keep their head above water while flailing about under the surface rang true.
—Devonne Goode, Parents, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
The last one, right below the zone, had Crow-Armstrong flailing to end the frame.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
Our solidarity with the core values and aspirations of Connecticut residents explains why Democrats have been growing our legislative majorities since 2018 while Republicans have been shrinking, flailing and failing.
—Martin M. Looney, Hartford Courant, 20 Aug. 2025
Besides a full day of groundbreaking music, flailing fans can buy vintage and new merch, local food and drink, and enjoy immersive CBGB installations, including the notorious bar and stage from the original club.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Ellison arrives at Paramount well-prepared in terms of the executives he’s chosen to help right the flailing entertainment conglomerate, which has been under the rule of the Sumner Redstone family for more than three decades.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Fitzgerald went to Fonseca as the World Review, the highly respected literary publication she and her husband Desmond co-edited, was flailing financially.
—Jane Ciabattari
august 12, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
The central sanctuary has been flailing since Rudy Giuliani’s drug war pushed out the Limelight.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 11 Aug. 2025
The entire cast is flailing around like a bunch of Sims who have been trapped in a room with no doors.
—Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025
His portrayal of a parent trying to keep their head above water while flailing about under the surface rang true.
—Devonne Goode, Parents, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flailing
Verb
-
Birds can soar through the sky for long periods without flapping their wings.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Well, the 23-year-old Belgian was among Europe’s best shot-stopping goalkeepers last season, is quick off his line and appears to be pretty composed, which would be ideal around his two flapping new goalkeeper team mates.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Milwaukee mother who claimed her stepfather threw her baby from a balcony has now been charged with child abuse herself, accused of whipping her younger brothers.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Olbinski ran to his car, while others hunkered down and braved the brutal winds and whipping sand.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Where at one time soldiers and sailors made do with fluttering flags or flashes of light to send simple messages, the modern warfighter is part of a global digital network where data rushes about like water out of a firehose and satellites act as a vital link in that network.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Sep. 2025
-
From November to March, the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve transforms into a vibrant, fluttering kingdom.—
Gaby Keiderling,
Robb Report,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Word of the raid spread across the property, triggering a scramble among workers who attempted to flee, with some running to a sewage pond and others hiding in air ducts.—
Caroll Alvarado,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
-
There’s no Nurse Ratched here, however, but there is the kindly Steve, who watches out for all of them, especially Shy, who is hiding a secret from the others.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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Witnesses and lawmakers wrestled with NASA’s budget priorities, highlighting concern that the administration’s 2026 budget request tilts heavily toward exploration while slashing science programs.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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Such reviews have led to companies clearing the deck for new CEOs by slashing top and bottom line expectations, leaving stocks vulnerable to steep corrections.—
Chloe Taylor,Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While you guys had staff inside laughing, pointing and even flicking off the crowd outside.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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DraftKings, one of the biggest online sports gambling sites in Illinois, is slapping 50- or 25-cent fees on most bets.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
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Tchervinski can be seen in the viral video slapping one of the suspects, which his lawyer claims occurred after he had already been hit.—
,
FOXNews.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flailing. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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