1
as in scolds
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
her husband flayed her constantly for her incessant shopping
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flays
Verb
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Or tie scolds to the ducking stool again.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026 -
McMahon likes to remind scolds that wrestling is a morality play.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the ball comes in, two players move towards either post and another is positioned at or peels away to the penalty spot, with the ensuing chaos providing opportunities to score.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Lemon peels speed up decomposition in your compost bin.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When not writing, May frequently lectures on the politics and policies of mass incarceration for university classes, academic conferences, and online events.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
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With me, my wife lectures me more than my children.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Much like a dog that barks at every little noise and passerby, my skin is reactive.—
Devon Abelman,
Allure,
24 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, the same neighbor’s dog barks at all hours, day and night, and a large shoe rack sits outside her door — an eyesore and a fire code violation.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 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
Verb
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The condo association, which took over management of the property in March 2025, blames Riverwalk East Development, LLC.—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
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Scott blames his late wife’s parents for her death in April 2024.—
Juliet Pennington,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The audit also criticizes the city for not trying to boost compliance by issuing fines.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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OpenAI memo criticizes Anthropic watch now Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Flays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flays. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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