thrash

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word thrash distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of thrash are brandish, flourish, swing, and wave. While all these words mean "to wield or cause to move to and fro or up and down," thrash suggests vigorous, abrupt, violent movement.

an infant thrashing his arms about

When can brandish be used instead of thrash?

While the synonyms brandish and thrash are close in meaning, brandish implies threatening or menacing motion.

brandishing a knife

When would flourish be a good substitute for thrash?

The words flourish and thrash are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, flourish suggests vigorous, ostentatious, graceful movement.

flourished the winning lottery ticket

When might swing be a better fit than thrash?

Although the words swing and thrash have much in common, swing implies regular or uniform movement.

swing the rope back and forth

Where would wave be a reasonable alternative to thrash?

In some situations, the words wave and thrash are roughly equivalent. However, wave usually implies smooth or continuous motion.

waving the flag

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 thrash Bayern asserted their dominance over Group C by thrashing Auckland City in their Club World Cup opener 10-0. Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025 Taken in a vacuum, there is nothing particularly unusual about the Bundesliga champions thrashing a non-professional side by 10 goals. Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025 The somewhat bleak outlook was laid bare Tuesday night after the USMNT was thrashed 4-0 by Switzerland during a friendly in Nashville. Ben Church, CNN Money, 11 June 2025 European club soccer’s grandest prize has a new home after PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in Saturday’s final. James Robson, Chicago Tribune, 31 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for thrash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thrash
Verb
  • Where power lines are buried, flooding can also cause issues.
    Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
  • Meanwhile, every attempt to create ethical walls and accountability at PURA have been quietly buried by those who benefit from the dysfunction.
    Timothy M. Herbst, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2025
Verb
  • An Italian meringue involves carefully and slowly drizzling a hot sugar syrup into egg whites while whipping them.
    Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 3 July 2025
  • The comet will also whip by Mars on October 2 at 18 million miles (30 million kilometers) from the red planet.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 3 July 2025
Verb
  • In the video, the mother dog stays close to her pup, licking him and standing over him protectively.
    Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
  • While her Nickelodeon and Disney peers have seemingly all had at least one major scandal to their names (ranging from incessant twerking and licking unpurchased donuts to near-fatal overdoses), Palmer’s celebrity was, in part, defined by her lack of verifiable scandals.
    Kyle Denis, Billboard, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • They’re rolled across bathroom floors, stored in public bins at TSA checkpoints, and tossed into airplane cargo holds.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2025
  • For weeks, social media has been flooded with videos of federal agents, their faces often shrouded by masks, violently arresting bystanders who are filming their actions, dragging a taco stand vendor by her arm and tossing smoke bombs into a crowd of angry onlookers.
    Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
Verb
  • Nothing beats a flattering linen dress for the summer.
    Isis Briones, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2025
  • June hiring was up modestly from May's 144,000 increase in payrolls and beat the 118,000 jobs economists had forecast for last month.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 4 July 2025
Verb
  • The palette is a unique blend of pink, tan, and hints of blue-green that add a subtle amount of color while still hiding dirt and debris.
    Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 26 June 2025
  • Weathered and bumpy, the wall hidden among the surplus clothing stores of the Fashion District was hardly the perfect canvas.
    Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • In one particularly jarring example, under threat of being unplugged, Anthropic’s latest creation Claude 4 lashed back by blackmailing an engineer and threatened to reveal an extramarital affair.
    Thomas Urbain, Fortune, 29 June 2025
  • The president also lashed out at economists who predicted his administration’s tariffs could cause a recession.
    Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • The fearful pup stepped out to greet her, his tail twitching—his first show of trust in a long time.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025
  • So instead, designers tweaked certain details, like twitching nerves under his skin and the iridescence in his scales.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 14 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Thrash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thrash. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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