: a hand threshing implement consisting of a wooden handle at the end of which a stouter and shorter stick is so hung as to swing freely
flailed; flailing; flails
1
a
: to strike with or as if with a flail
The bird's wings flailed the water.
b
: to move, swing, or beat as if wielding a flail
flailing a club to drive away the insects
2
: to thresh (grain) with a flail
: to move, swing, or beat like a flail
arms flailing in the water
Examples of flail in a Sentence
Verb
They were flailing their arms to drive away the insects.
The wounded animal lay on the ground, flailing helplessly.
He was wildly flailing about on the dance floor.
The bird's wings flailed the water.
Recent Examples on the Web
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
With the Heat only now getting to explore the possibilities of Kyle Anderson, including a solid performance amid flailing by teammates in Saturday night’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at the start of this two-game trip, comes a backstory like few others on Erik Spoelstra’s roster.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flail
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
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
With the Heat only now getting to explore the possibilities of Kyle Anderson, including a solid performance amid flailing by teammates in Saturday night’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at the start of this two-game trip, comes a backstory like few others on Erik Spoelstra’s roster.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flail
Cite this Entry
“Flail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flail. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flail
1 of 2 noun
: a tool for threshing grain by hand
flail
2 of 2 verb1
: to strike with or as if with a flail
2
: to move or wave about as if swinging a flail
flailed their arms
Medical Definition
flail
adjective
: exhibiting abnormal mobility and loss of response to normal controls
—used of body parts damaged by paralysis, injury, or surgery
flail joint
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