thrash

1 of 2

verb

thrashed; thrashing; thrashes

transitive verb

1
a
: to beat soundly with or as if with a stick or whip : flog
b
: to defeat decisively or severely
thrashed the visiting team
2
: to swing, beat, or strike in the manner of a rapidly moving flail
thrashing his arms
3
a
: to go over again and again
thrash the matter over inconclusively
b
: to hammer out : forge
thrash out a plan
4
: to separate the seeds of from the husks and straw by beating : thresh sense 1

intransitive verb

1
: to move or stir about violently : toss about
thrash in bed with a fever
2
: to deal blows or strokes like one using a flail or whip
3

thrash

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act of thrashing
2
: rock music (such as heavy metal or punk rock) that is extremely fast and loud
Choose the Right Synonym for thrash

swing, wave, flourish, brandish, thrash mean to wield or cause to move to and fro or up and down.

swing implies regular or uniform movement.

swing the rope back and forth

wave usually implies smooth or continuous motion.

waving the flag

flourish suggests vigorous, ostentatious, graceful movement.

flourished the winning lottery ticket

brandish implies threatening or menacing motion.

brandishing a knife

thrash suggests vigorous, abrupt, violent movement.

an infant thrashing his arms about

Examples of thrash in a Sentence

Verb He thrashed me with his belt. The team thrashed them last week. Something was thrashing wildly in the water. She thrashed around in her sleep. Noun The shark swam away with a thrash of its tail.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
The band then went on to play its way through the rest of the Village, cranking out cartoon theme song medleys between the sets as mostly white kids thrashed in the crowd. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2025 Fighters began thrashing the passengers with camel-hide whips. Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
Noun
Some hardcore thrash here, some R&B there, a smattering of rap over there. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2025 Together, Metallica led a thrash metal movement that began as an underground sensation but turned out to be more lasting than a lot of the more commercial metal then coming off the Sunset Strip. Steve Appleford, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for thrash

Word History

Etymology

Verb

alteration of thresh

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3

Noun

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thrash was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Thrash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrash. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

thrash

verb
ˈthrash
1
2
a
: to strike forcefully especially with a long instrument (as a whip) : flog
b
: to defeat decisively or severely
thrashed the visiting team
3
: to move or stir about violently
something was thrashing wildly in the water
4
: to go over again and again
thrash the matter over
thrash out a plan

More from Merriam-Webster on thrash

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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