Thesaurus results for FLINGS

flings 1 of 2

noun

plural of fling

as in sprees

a time or instance of carefree fun most families spend Labor Day weekend having one last summer fling

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as in tries

an effort to do or accomplish something take a fling at waterskiing and see how it goes

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as in affairs

a brief romantic relationship an ill-advised fling with a coworker

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flings

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of fling

as in throws

to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm flinging rocks into the pond just for the fun of it

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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 flings

Noun

Before Harry and Markle were together, the royal was spotted with many girlfriends and brief flings over the years. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 29 Aug. 2026 Puppy love and summer flings abound when Tom Holland's Peter Parker goes on a European vacation to spend quality time with his crush MJ (Zendaya) and instead gets thrown into a few international incidents. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026 Throughout this dense and always engrossing survey of Lean’s career in film, Thompson threads the vicissitudes of the director’s personal life, spanning six wives and various other relationships and flings. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2026 Some other royal biographers believe Elizabeth also cheated, perhaps in response to Philip’s flings. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 2 May 2026 Peter wondered how his flings from Christopher Street might look when photographed. — Andrew Durbin, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026 This one, written by Ryan Hurd, Jaxson Free and Daniel Ross, is going to be the soundtrack for beach flings all summer long. — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 16 Mar. 2026 The haphazard plot twists itself into knots to include Jeremy Pope’s unfortunately eponymous character, before moving on to far shorter flings with equally monotonous cast members. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026 Skarsgård played one of Donna’s former flings, Bill, in both films. — Brian Anthony Hernandez, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026

Verb

Its highly specialized strategy likely evolved to take advantage of the ant’s natural aggression and then overcome its defenses; the slingshot mechanism flings the ant from the foraging trail, reducing the risk that the spider will be swarmed by other workers, the researchers hypothesized. — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 23 June 2026 That pressure flings some of the hot gas outward in the form of a wind. — Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 4 June 2026 Knowing that there's no escape, Laurie makes her way to the roof of her home, ties a rope around her neck, and flings herself off the ledge, dying instantly. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026 All that’s left is a frantic kickout to Embiid, which flings wide left. — Fred Katz, New York Times, 15 May 2026 Miranda flings furs across desks like royal decrees. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2026 In Pretty Woman, a waiter (Allan Kent) catches a flying escargot that Vivian accidentally flings across the room during a fancy dinner with Edward and other businessmen. — Maria Yagoda, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026 Bubela corralls a grounder and flings it to first for an out. — Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026 Isabelle slides off Sarah’s lap, flings the towel, pulls on her swimming mask, grabs her mom’s hand and tugs her toward the pool. — Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flings

Noun

Indeed, some even view the market downturn as a natural return to a more balanced field following the high-flying peak TV buying sprees of global streamers.

— Ed Meza, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Others went very practical, like Kelly Rowland’s trip to the supermarket, or embraced their inner child, as Donald Glover and Tiffany Haddish did with their sugar sprees.

— Lydia Price, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of sprees

Noun

Adam Abdalla, the firm’s founder and most visible figure, will transition to a new role, with senior vice president Marcella Zimmerman assuming public-facing affairs.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Above all, Han Fei counseled, leaders must avoid heartfelt emotional responses to affairs of state lest they be interpreted as signs of vulnerability or weakness.

— Orville Schell, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of affairs

Verb

The state’s order throws into question how these contracts will now be executed.

— Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Mensah looked as good as the numbers suggested, too, ripping NFL-level throws and distributing the ball to his myriad playmakers, namely wide receiver Malachi Toney.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of throws

Noun

On the west coast, Gros and Petit Piton (Saint Lucia’s iconic volcanoes) rise from beneath the gin-clear sea to shelter the curvaceous coves at Anse Chastanet and Jalousie Beach, which inspire From Here To Eternity-style romps on the shore.

— Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026
Spring break isn’t just for partying college kids and family theme-park romps.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026

Definition of romps

Noun

Earlier attempts to harvest solar energy underwater stalled out in shallow waters under two meters deep, where sunlight is still plentiful but practical applications are scarce.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026
Tampa Bay allowed a QB hit on 11% of pass attempts last season, the lowest rate in the league.

— Joe Reedy, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of attempts

Verb

Former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins hurls a deep ball toward Jefferson in double coverage, and McCardell stops the play.

— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
The mathematical problem concerns the Navier-Stokes equations, which govern the flow of fluids—from the whirlpool circling your bathtub’s drain to the turbulent winds El Niño hurls across the North American continent.

— Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2026