Synonyms of flapping

flapping 1 of 2

noun

as in waving

Related Words

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

Dissimilar Words

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

flapping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of flap

as in fluttering

to move or cause to move with a striking motion

the stirring sight of a huge flock of geese flapping their wings

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of flapping

Noun

Symmetrical wing flapping generates forward thrust, while differential wing motion provides steering for smooth, quiet indoor flight. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026

In recent days, viewers were treated to the younger eagles practicing their wing flapping and preparing to make their first official flights. — Kris Wernowsky, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026

Nearly two months old, the birds spend much of their days hopping, flapping, stomping and testing out their wings, a recent Facebook post from Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that operates their live cam, says. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 1 June 2026

With the skin flapping, his words, not mine, the medical staff went full MacGyver on Buckberger. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026

Somatic shaking can look a little different from one person to the next, but usually involves a few minutes of wildly uncoordinated jumping, arm flapping, and foot stomping. — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Mar. 2026

The doll also was given articulated elbows and wrists to acknowledge stimming, hand flapping and other gestures that some autistic people use to process sensory information or to express excitement, according to Mattel. — Dallas Morning News, 12 Jan. 2026

In the body, there’s a new articulation of the elbows and wrists that allows expressive hand gestures, such as hand flapping, which some autistic people may use to process their experiences or express themselves. — Sarah Scott, Parents, 12 Jan. 2026

As City prodded a stubborn defensive Everton shape that held Chelsea to their first WSL defeat under head coach Sonia Bompastor, there was no gurgling angst or arm flapping. — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026

Verb

Real manta rays propel themselves by rhythmically flapping and undulating their enormous pectoral fins. — New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2026

When the chute opened, Paper Cut thrashed across the arena until, at the sound of the buzzer, Jacobson launched himself off the animal and staggered away, his chaps flapping. — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

The cast are clustered around a table of props and despite her disappointment at the lack of hag wigs, Dale Dickey is flapping a fishing net like a seafaring matador. — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026

Despite Sarah’s flapping her cardigan in the air like a hungover color-guard girl at a homecoming parade, the hapless Irish naval men sent to save her remained beyond the bobbing waves. — Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Maybe the manager didn’t feel like flapping their arms to dry them, seeing as how the cookline handwash sink didn’t have paper towels or a blower. — David J. Neal july 24, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026

Generally, to be considered autistic, a person must have exhibited social difficulties and repetitive behaviors—such as hand-flapping and spinning—from before the age of 5. — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

In field tests across Lake Geneva, the machine swam through the lake before flapping its wings, breaking the water’s surface, and taking flight into the open air. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026

Video from the group's livestream showed Luna flapping his wings on a branch before taking off. — Austin Turner, CBS News, 29 June 2026