1
as in to flutter
to move or cause to move with a striking motion
started to flail his arms wildly when he spied a bat in the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to whip
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
gruesome evidence that the prisoner had been flailed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flail
Sebastian Shukla, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
As readers spent more time online, magazines reliant on print ads were flailing.
—Steven Kurutz, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
With his quirky lisp, wacky energy, and tinny vocal quiver, Carrey's cable guy Chip flails around against the backdrop of a psychedelic karaoke screen, hip-thrusting and shimmying his way across a house party as the elderly crowd gets their groove on.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2025
As such, physics puzzler Heavenly Bodies is often a game of flailing noodle limbs and intrepid spacemen drifting out into the inky abyss.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flail
Verb
Two key themes have dominated campaigning: curbing mass migration and righting the country’s flailing economy.
—Sebastian Shukla, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
As readers spent more time online, magazines reliant on print ads were flailing.
—Steven Kurutz, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
With his quirky lisp, wacky energy, and tinny vocal quiver, Carrey's cable guy Chip flails around against the backdrop of a psychedelic karaoke screen, hip-thrusting and shimmying his way across a house party as the elderly crowd gets their groove on.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2025
As such, physics puzzler Heavenly Bodies is often a game of flailing noodle limbs and intrepid spacemen drifting out into the inky abyss.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flail
Verb
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The Chinese and Hong Kong flags flutter as screens display the Hang Seng Index outside the Exchange Square complex, which houses the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, on January 21, 2021 in Hong Kong, China.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2025
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Romantic connections will sweeten up by April 30 regardless, as your amorous ruler Venus finally flutters back into your relationship sector, softening your heart to the healing magic of love.—
Nina Kahn,
StyleCaster,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Take it from us and whip out this gem for special occasions versus everyday wear, as Gucci recommends shielding it from direct light, heat, and rain.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
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Alexander Wennberg’s 10th goal of the season tied the score at 16:46 when his fellow Swede, William Eklund, whipped a pass from the left boards across the goal mouth to set-up the one-time finish with a ton of space to Dostal’s left.—
Josh Gross,
Oc Register,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Peace in Ukraine and the Middle East is proving to be far harder to achieve than the real estate deals envisaged by the president, while the bludgeon of tariffs is raising ever more opposition among erstwhile allies.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
25 Mar. 2025
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Mishra then abruptly juxtaposes a scene from Gaza, flush with heavy-handed language that bludgeons home his comparison.—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Think chaos theory: a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, and a tornado hits Texas.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Neighbors initially complained about the gunshot-style sound of the flag flapping in the wind and keeping them awake at night.—
David Staats,
Idaho Statesman,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The titles of 12 such books — some of which may have been published before 2025 — are hidden below within an unrelated text passage.—
J. D. Biersdorfer,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Read Next World Palace gardens hid 900-year-old ruins of bathhouse in Spain — until now.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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And, in a development that has been decades in the making, civil-rights laws have been reduced to cudgels for coercing universities into subservience.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2025
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Art of the trade deal Trump enacted tariffs on steel and aluminum for most countries during his first administration and used them as a cudgel against Mexico and Canada to negotiate an update to the North American Free Trade Agreement that was more favorable to the United States.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Trump administration wants to significantly cut NASA’s budget next year, slashing science research funding in half, a reduction that would halt the launch of a high-tech space telescope and curtail other planetary exploration missions.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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Nimmo is slashing mere .202/.253/.381 this season, but Sunday’s heroics could be a sign of changing fortune.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Cut Stems Back Using your bypass pruners, cut live canes back to 12 inches tall.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Apr. 2025
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Green, who is Black, regularly uses a cane to walk around the Capitol and has done so for years.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flail. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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