thrash

Definition of thrashnext
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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 However, if the prey was stuck in the web and struggling (thrashing about), the stabilimenta successfully transmitted the alarm to a wider area of the web. Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2025 Look for signs like the cat stopping purring, stiffening, thrashing their tail, or hissing. Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025 Except for the Cayman Islands, the territories all lie in Melissa’s path as the storm moves northward after thrashing Cuba. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025 And the restaurants are thrashing. Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for thrash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thrash
Verb
  • There is no dignity, and no justice, in a system that buries an elderly woman alive in silence.
    Kim Aris, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and University College London have found that humans can detect objects buried in sand without directly touching them.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • There were some frightening moments early Monday for a Miramar man after police say he was pistol whipped during a home invasion and his French bulldog was stolen.
    Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
  • Or whips around his defender in a bold pirouette.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The sketch concluded with the librarian licking Moynihan's face with a forked tongue and then unbuttoning her blouse — causing all of the boys' heads to explode.
    Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The first is Christopher Walken as Gabriel, a mean-spirited angel who sniffs and licks crime scenes and inspects children’s teeth for reasons that sort of make sense within the movie.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Someone off camera then tossed him that actual T-shirt.
    Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Failing to get a criminal conviction tossed and again complaining about the conditions at Rikers Island, Weinstein wants to begin negotiations with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s office ahead of his upcoming trial, his lawyer said during a hearing Thursday.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Two teenage girls are charged with kidnapping a teenage boy after allegedly luring him into a basement and beating him for three hours in early November.
    Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Josh Doan scored, Colten Ellis made 30 saves in his first game in a month and the Buffalo Sabres beat the New York Rangers 5-2 on Thursday night to give them 12 victories in their past 13 games.
    CBS News, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Still seething after a sloppy 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions, Johnson wasn’t hiding his dissatisfaction with a defeat that seemed to diminish his team’s momentum.
    Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • But the jury in the federal civil lawsuit found that Moore violated Gillispie's rights by hiding evidence that would have helped Gillispie's defense and creating unfair lineup procedures for the victims.
    Laura A. Bischoff, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Trump has also repeatedly lashed out over the state’s incarceration of Tina Peters, the former county clerk convicted of state felonies related to her attempts to prove discredited election conspiracies shared by the president.
    Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 9 Jan. 2026
  • According to Augustinus Bader, apply to brows and lashes morning and night.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • At 6-foot-4, 255 pounds, Huff at his best has good bend and some twitch to his game.
    Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Their usefulness remains an open question At the back of a conference hall at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas, a humanoid robot twitched through a preprogrammed wave for a crowd of cell phone cameras—a classic scene of high spectacle and unclear utility at CES.
    Eric Sullivan, Scientific American, 6 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Thrash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thrash. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

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