flaying

verb

present participle of flay
1
as in scolding
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings her husband flayed her constantly for her incessant shopping

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in peeling
to remove the natural covering of flayed their kill right there in the forest, taking both the meat and the skin home

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 flaying The end came with England on 50-0, with Stokes flaying Foulkes to Mitchell at mid-on. — ABC News, 28 June 2026 Dwight grabbed my arm, wrenching my hand out of my pocket, flaying it like a fish, pulling me along. — Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flaying
  1. scolding
  2. peeling
  3. lecturing
  4. reprimanding
  5. criticizing
Verb
  • Soon though, Shawna noticed some of Zaayer's strange behaviors — including scolding her grandson, getting upset over cleaning habits and allegedly showing them racist videos.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • Justice Barrett actually sounded kind of sharp, almost scolding, in the opinion in her criticism of the assertions made by the plaintiffs and some of the justices in the minority.
    — John E. Jones III, The Conversation, 1 July 2026
Definition of scolding
Verb
  • On the day Al-Zaharnah monitored the excavation, the crews were working at a painfully slow pace, peeling back the pancaked layers of the building one by one.
    — Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • But shortly after the work finished, peeling paint and algae gathered in the water.
    — Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 9 July 2026
Definition of peeling
Verb
  • College professors spend less time lecturing than a typical sportswriter creating fake controversies to criticize.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
  • If and until that day comes, there will be fingerpointing, lecturing and posturing, all of which has flowed freely in the wake of the Sorsby decision.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 June 2026
Definition of lecturing
Verb
  • Her Volumnia bellows at her meek daughter-in-law, Virgilia (Justine Faith) as though reprimanding an incompetent private.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Earlier this week, Scott Agness claimed his press credentials were revoked by the team after his reporting led to the WNBA reprimanding the Fever for not being transparent about Clark’s health status during a game on May 20.
    — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Definition of reprimanding
Verb
  • Acknowledging and even criticizing our mistakes of the past doesn’t cheapen one’s love for the United States.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • The movie continues its tradition of addressing social issues, this time focusing on human equality and colonial looting, with pointed dialogue criticizing the British Empire.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of criticizing

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Cite this Entry

“Flaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flaying. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flaying

Nglish: Translation of flaying for Spanish Speakers

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