1
as in flutters
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
Relevance
2
as in whips
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
gruesome evidence that the prisoner had been flailed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of flails
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
As Frances ascends in the art world, Avery flails financially and emotionally — and the nationwide Adderall shortage isn’t helping.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Premiums are poised to rise next year as the party flails on whether to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 16 Dec. 2025
The 16-year-old flails her arms, thrashes and kicks — sometimes for hours.
—Calmatters, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025
Verb
Some fans said the actor instead resembled an early-PlayStation-era cutscene character who robotically flails his limbs upon impact.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
As Frances ascends in the art world, Avery flails financially and emotionally — and the nationwide Adderall shortage isn’t helping.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Premiums are poised to rise next year as the party flails on whether to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 16 Dec. 2025
The 16-year-old flails her arms, thrashes and kicks — sometimes for hours.
—Calmatters, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flails
Verb
-
Iran’s flag before the 1979 revolution — green, white and red with a lion and a rising sun — flutters from many overhangs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel (center) flutters a Venezuelan and Cuban national flags in support of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Havana.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the fourth minute, Meschack Elia whips a ball across the box to Bakambu, eight yards from goal.—
Franklin Leonard,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
-
Stephen Fry whips out his phone to snag a picture with Johnny Knoxville inside the Fox Upfront 2026 afterparty in New York City on May 11.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
There’s Xi Jinping mogging Bibi Netanyahu while deafeningly aggro phonk bludgeons away; hype montages paint Marx as history’s greatest theorist and pair Zohran Mamdani quotes with Playboi Carti Die Lit cuts.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The structure flaps its wings when powered by electricity.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
-
View gallery - 7 images A wooden dragon sculpture that gently flaps its wings has become a crowd-funding hit, but after seeing the traditional handcrafted work that's been put into every single model, making each one unique, the value of such a piece becomes strikingly clear.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
So Daisy hides the truth from everyone but Shu.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
-
The virus hides out in reservoirs in the body and rebounds fast if people stop treatment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
More to Explore Many of the human props—canes, top hats, desks—used in primate taxidermy became unfashionable in the first half of the nineteenth century, but there were still throwbacks.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
18 May 2026
-
Before the treatment, many participants struggled with a slow, mechanical gait, and 12 used assistive devices such as walkers and canes.—
Amber Dance,
ArsTechnica,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
SpaceX's Starlink is rolling out a new deal that slashes the monthly price of the satellite internet service in the US by $21.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
5 May 2026
-
Earlier in the film, Kenobi slashes off the arm of a creature who was known then as Walrus Man and is known now as Ponda Baba.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Sourdough, multigrain, sprouted grain, pumpernickel, boules, baguettes, batons, the list goes on, but one type may rise above the pack.—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
19 May 2026
-
There used to be physical-comedy genius; there used to be simple, aspirational concepts; there used to be a passing of batons between past stars onto the next generation of them.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flails. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
