1
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
her husband flayed her constantly for her incessant shopping
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flay
Separating fact from invention is difficult, but there have been rumors that there was more than one murderer, the killing was drug-related and — perhaps most disturbingly — that Driscoll was either dismembered or flayed alive.
—
Alex Heigl, People.com, 18 May 2025
And leather boots, barely-there flayed skirts, faux leather, faux ostrich feathers, and while crowds at Lollapalooza may edge ever closer to public nudity, Charli and her ongoing Brat Summer tour clearly inspired a cleavage arms race for the ages.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
Clark, who wore a mischievous smile, flayed her arm once more for the dramatics before stepping on the court and finishing a defensive drill.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
If the robot, who frequently metamorphoses, gives shape to some form of justice, it’s flayed down to a name.
—Elisa Gonzalez, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flay
Alex Heigl, People.com, 18 May 2025
And leather boots, barely-there flayed skirts, faux leather, faux ostrich feathers, and while crowds at Lollapalooza may edge ever closer to public nudity, Charli and her ongoing Brat Summer tour clearly inspired a cleavage arms race for the ages.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
Clark, who wore a mischievous smile, flayed her arm once more for the dramatics before stepping on the court and finishing a defensive drill.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
If the robot, who frequently metamorphoses, gives shape to some form of justice, it’s flayed down to a name.
—Elisa Gonzalez, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flay
Verb
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Also on hand to scold him out of his funk is Henry’s uncle, Lord Norton (Andrew Havill), a newspaper publisher of waning influence.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
19 Jan. 2026
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Sanders, by now a perennial candidate, perfected his craggy, scolding, mitten-waving style.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In her car, Jessica Gabriel’s Lady is an avid listener of DJ Revolution, a fictional radio DJ who lectures passionately about the struggles of modern-day life in Nigeria.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2026
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At her event, Acosta will lecture and facilitate a discussion about the Jeanes Supervisors.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
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So far, none of the agents involved in the shootings has been publicly suspended or reprimanded.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flay. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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