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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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The structure flaps its wings when powered by electricity.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
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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
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But this spectacular view hides some interesting details.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
27 May 2026
-
Troublesome trend This state-level scorecard hides a troublesome trend in early 2026.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Use twine or soft plant ties to attach the branches or canes of sprawling and grabbing climbers to the support structure at regular intervals, tying securely but not too tightly.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
23 May 2026
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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
Verb
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Just in time for summer, Amazon’s Memorial Day sale slashes 25% off the price of these Nike Calm Mules, which play off the trending sneakers-to-sandals trend.—
Tim Chan,
Footwear News,
22 May 2026
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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
Noun
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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
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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 30 May. 2026.
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