flogged; flogging
1
a
: to beat with or as if with a rod or whip
The sailors were flogged for attempting a mutiny.
b
: to criticize harshly
He was flogged in the press for failing to take action.
2
: to force or urge into action : drive
3
a
chiefly British
: to sell (something, such as stolen goods) illegally
flogged their employers' petrol to ordinary motorists—
Economist
Economist
b
: sell sense 7
traveled by horse, flogging encyclopedias—Robert Darnton
Robert Darntonflogging wares at the local discount outlet—Ronald Henkoff
Ronald Henkoff
c
: to promote aggressively : plug
flying around the world flogging your movies—Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich4
British
: steal sense 1
flogger
noun
Synonyms
Examples of flog in a Sentence
The sailors were flogged for attempting a mutiny.
a graphic depiction of a sailor being flogged by the captain for disobeying orders
Recent Examples on the Web
In May, the filmmaker escaped to Europe after receiving sentence of jail and flogging from the Iranian authorities.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Oct. 2024
On this day in 1850: The U.S. Navy officially abolished flogging as a form of punishment through an act of Congress, which was signed into law by President Millard Fillmore.
—The Arizona Republic, 27 Sep. 2024
French newspaper Liberation commemorated the anniversary with a cover interview with Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, who dramatically fled Iran in April in the face of a harsh prison and flogging sentence, and actress Golshifteh Farahani, who has been living in exile for 16 years.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2024
Bolstered by hubris and net worth, these billionaires have loudly aligned themselves with their preferred candidate, taken potshots at the opposition, and flogged their personal policy prescriptions—often in feisty social media spats with one another.
—Byalexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flog 
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Oct. 2024
On this day in 1850: The U.S. Navy officially abolished flogging as a form of punishment through an act of Congress, which was signed into law by President Millard Fillmore.
—The Arizona Republic, 27 Sep. 2024
French newspaper Liberation commemorated the anniversary with a cover interview with Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, who dramatically fled Iran in April in the face of a harsh prison and flogging sentence, and actress Golshifteh Farahani, who has been living in exile for 16 years.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2024
Bolstered by hubris and net worth, these billionaires have loudly aligned themselves with their preferred candidate, taken potshots at the opposition, and flogged their personal policy prescriptions—often in feisty social media spats with one another.
—Byalexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flog
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flog.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flog
Cite this Entry
“Flog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flog. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
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