as in self-annihilation
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Recent Examples of self-flagellation
Both the criticism and self-flagellation imply that the act of claiming another person’s words can render these words deceitful, even if the words have been paid for and the content is true.
—
Emily Hodgson Anderson, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Huerta shouldn’t have to engage in this rite of self-flagellation, of course, but she and Chavez are linked by their legacies as two of the greatest civil rights fighters in our history.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
The struggle and self-flagellation devoted to the doomed attempt to stop wasting time is likely merely another way to waste your time.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Others, including Halverson, would like to see the self-flagellation calm down.
—Joshua Partlow, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2026
The same could be said for Howe’s lacerating self-flagellation afterwards.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
At the same time, invisibility has come as a relief, insofar as my vanity always kept company with self-consciousness and self-flagellation.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
The technique was initially practiced alone, but in 1260 a hermit in Perugia launched a movement, and organized processions of mass self-flagellation broke out across Italy.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Emily Hodgson Anderson, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Huerta shouldn’t have to engage in this rite of self-flagellation, of course, but she and Chavez are linked by their legacies as two of the greatest civil rights fighters in our history.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
The struggle and self-flagellation devoted to the doomed attempt to stop wasting time is likely merely another way to waste your time.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Others, including Halverson, would like to see the self-flagellation calm down.
—Joshua Partlow, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2026
The same could be said for Howe’s lacerating self-flagellation afterwards.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
At the same time, invisibility has come as a relief, insofar as my vanity always kept company with self-consciousness and self-flagellation.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
The technique was initially practiced alone, but in 1260 a hermit in Perugia launched a movement, and organized processions of mass self-flagellation broke out across Italy.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-flagellation
Noun
-
The will toward self-annihilation is a familiar human characteristic.—
Henry Freedland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Her self-annihilation is grisly and impossible to misinterpret as a final repudiation of her role in the HMS Courageous bombing and, until Grace announces she’d like Hal to be her vice-president, is the most intense and far-reaching twist of the episode.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Texas Democrats got to enjoy the glow of a surprise victory in Tarrant County for just about a day before the party reverted to its uncommon capacity for self-immolation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
If Trump were to persist, Denmark could trigger NATO’s Article 5 mutual-defense pact, and then the unthinkable could occur: American soldiers firing on Europeans while Russian President Vladimir Putin’s dream of NATO’s self-immolation is thoroughly realized.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Biblical scholar Bart Ehrman contends that our modern sense of altruism can be traced back to the radical shift in ethical thinking sparked by Jesus' teachings.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Trefethen led a similar portfolio at the philanthropic organization, Coefficient Giving, which is a major funder of the effective altruism community that has sometimes clashed with OpenAI’s vision for artificial intelligence.—
Thalia Beaty,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Themes of self-sacrifice dance around the script, but for a film that deals with such dark ideas as isolation and death in space, the film undermines its own pathos at every opportunity.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2026
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Growth comes from mutual accountability, not self-sacrifice.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For Liu to resuscitate figure skating as a mature, 20-year-old woman with magnanimity for her competitors is a remarkable feat—a single athlete transforming her sport in a single performance.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
23 Feb. 2026
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Lincoln himself was famous for his genuine magnanimity toward immigrants.—
Mark B. Pohlad,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Beneath the surface, however, Bohm has faced obstacles and oddities, including a frightening elbow infection and a viral social media post touting his generosity that was untrue.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The event seeks to renew commitment to compassion, generosity and hope, and attendees will walk from Trinity Lutheran Church to the courthouse for a brief program followed by a reception and fellowship at Trinity.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-flagellation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-flagellation. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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