as in waving
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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
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Recent Examples of flapping
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
The doll also was given articulated elbows and wrists to acknowledge stimming, hand flapping and other gestures that some people with autism use to process sensory information or to express excitement, according to Mattel.
—CBS 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
For insect-sized robots, the weight of a battery powerful enough to sustain continuous flapping often exceeds the robot’s own lifting capacity.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Jan. 2026
The man whom Navarro likes to call the Boss seems to value insincere, or bought, obeisance—the flapping and fussing of a maître d’—more than heartfelt fandom, which lacks the piquancy of humiliation.
—Ian Parker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Rachel Howard, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Apr. 2026
Yes, literally like a bird flapping its wings.
—Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Large, thoughtful pockets stay accessible without flapping, and adjusters at the waist and cuffs help keep comfortability, even at mid-hike.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Mar. 2026
The way the Sharks were losing — and continue to lose — is one giant, flapping red flag.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
There are giant flapping birds.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026
Many readers will remember the MetaFly, a remote-control robotic insect that flies by actually flapping its wings.
—New Atlas, 17 Feb. 2026
The ponytails were flopping and the eyelashes were flapping at West Orange High on Saturday afternoon, but don’t think the girls participating in the first-ever Orlando All-American Exposure Camp weren’t just as intense as the boys from the morning session.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
Longtime collaborator Alex Lockett returns to direct the clip, an upstairs/downstairs concept which follows Antonoff on struggle street, stumbling into randoms and flapping about in the rain.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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
The doll also was given articulated elbows and wrists to acknowledge stimming, hand flapping and other gestures that some people with autism use to process sensory information or to express excitement, according to Mattel.
—CBS 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
For insect-sized robots, the weight of a battery powerful enough to sustain continuous flapping often exceeds the robot’s own lifting capacity.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Jan. 2026
The man whom Navarro likes to call the Boss seems to value insincere, or bought, obeisance—the flapping and fussing of a maître d’—more than heartfelt fandom, which lacks the piquancy of humiliation.
—Ian Parker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Verb
The setting is Scotland — very exotic to Danes back in the 19th century (not to mention great for showing off a male dancer’s petit batterie beneath a flapping kilt).
—Rachel Howard, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Apr. 2026
Yes, literally like a bird flapping its wings.
—Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Large, thoughtful pockets stay accessible without flapping, and adjusters at the waist and cuffs help keep comfortability, even at mid-hike.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Mar. 2026
The way the Sharks were losing — and continue to lose — is one giant, flapping red flag.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
There are giant flapping birds.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026
Many readers will remember the MetaFly, a remote-control robotic insect that flies by actually flapping its wings.
—New Atlas, 17 Feb. 2026
The ponytails were flopping and the eyelashes were flapping at West Orange High on Saturday afternoon, but don’t think the girls participating in the first-ever Orlando All-American Exposure Camp weren’t just as intense as the boys from the morning session.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
Longtime collaborator Alex Lockett returns to direct the clip, an upstairs/downstairs concept which follows Antonoff on struggle street, stumbling into randoms and flapping about in the rain.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flapping
Noun
-
But the flag-waving takes on a different meaning in his tweet, making Sosa part of the propaganda machine.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The flag-waving, the face paint, the pugnacious songs, the banners, the bellicose taunts at the opponents, the arms flung out in unison foster a collective spirit that can turn violent at times.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Kick your legs in small up-and-down fluttering motions while keeping your lower back flat and abs tight throughout.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Video from the scene hours after the fire first erupted showed ash fluttering through the air and burned paper in the yards of homes across the street from the warehouse.—
Joy Benedict,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
During this phase, octopuses display visible twitching along with rapid changes in skin color and texture, per NPR.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Gosnell did not testify at his 2013 trial, but his defense attorney argued that none of the fetuses were born alive and that any movements were posthumous twitching or spasms, according to the AP.—
Greg Norman-Diamond,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flapping. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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