as in to whip
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
some medieval monks believed it was necessary to flagellate themselves in order to keep their desires in check
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Recent Examples of flagellate
One Peruvian candidate has taken time to talk about his habit of wearing a wire chain, known as a cilice, every day to flagellate himself.
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Star Tribune, 8 Apr. 2021
All are said to have had affairs with Lucian Freud (was there anyone who didn’t?), three with Arthur Koestler and one with Egypt’s King Farouk (who liked to flagellate her on the steps of the royal palace with his dressing-gown cord).
—Moira Hodgson, WSJ, 31 Jan. 2020
Muslims were mobilizing; once, Mr. Rizvi visited during Muharram, an annual ritual of mourning, and found her surrounded by pilgrims, flagellating themselves with chains to which razor blades had been attached.
—Ellen Barry, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2019
Tech companies have self-flagellated a lot on these issues.
—Frank Bajak, SFChronicle.com, 14 Oct. 2019
See all Example Sentences for flagellate 
Star Tribune, 8 Apr. 2021
All are said to have had affairs with Lucian Freud (was there anyone who didn’t?), three with Arthur Koestler and one with Egypt’s King Farouk (who liked to flagellate her on the steps of the royal palace with his dressing-gown cord).
—Moira Hodgson, WSJ, 31 Jan. 2020
Muslims were mobilizing; once, Mr. Rizvi visited during Muharram, an annual ritual of mourning, and found her surrounded by pilgrims, flagellating themselves with chains to which razor blades had been attached.
—Ellen Barry, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2019
Tech companies have self-flagellated a lot on these issues.
—Frank Bajak, SFChronicle.com, 14 Oct. 2019
See all Example Sentences for flagellate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flagellate
Verb
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Unusually fierce December winds whipping across the Île de la Cité, flanked by the River Seine, forced all the events inside.Thomas Adamson and John Leicester, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
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As the wind can really whip between buildings in the winter, a thick wool coat like this Cole Haan trench coat now 38 percent off, will keep you warm while walking.Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The alleged cheaters in France used simple techniques to conceal their cameras, like hiding the devices in their clothing, but much more robust options exist on the open market.Ben Dowsett, WIRED, 10 Dec. 2024
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The women were models of courage, hiding from fighters in the mountains of Greece after World War II triggered violent civil strife in that country.Leslie Kelly, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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However, California's desire to decarbonize its electricity grid has at times clashed with the state's notoriously stringent regulations, with a number of experts calling for red tape to be slashed in order to hit Governor Newsom's targets.Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
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Indeed, the newsroom staff was slashed in half within just a few years.Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The Speccie’s star columnist is the rudest man in Christendom, the Godzilla of contumely, an all-time non-sufferer of fools who horsewhips his targets the way Hunter S. Thompson and Christopher Hitchens once did.Kyle Smith, National Review, 23 Apr. 2020
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In reality, Watson wasn’t a bar fighter or famous for horsewhipping cowboys.Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian, 12 Mar. 2018
Verb
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But right now, the Chargers might be lashed to a log, helplessly bobbing toward a Buffalo buzz saw.Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
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While some destinations in Spain have lashed out against tourism recently, notably the Balearic and Canary Islands, Barcelona, and Málaga, foreign residents don’t report feeling discriminated against.Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Almost from the start, Dharavi was defined by its industries: from the traditional potters of Gujarat who began arriving in the late 1800s, to leather tanners from Tamil Nadu and embroidery workers from Uttar Pradesh.Jessie Yeung, CNN, 29 June 2024
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Look to leather knee-high pairs from Jimmy Choo, Isabel Marant, Khaite, and & Other Stories for a similar version of the model-off-duty style.Laura Jackson, Vogue, 15 Aug. 2022
Verb
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If streaming has gone a long way toward keeping the NFL top-of-mind with its legions of fans, that’s not to say that creaky old TV doesn’t routinely turn on the jets whenever the Chiefs and Bills butt heads or the Cowboys flail their way through another frustrating loss.Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 13 Dec. 2024
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With all eight episodes having arrived on Netflix Dec. 12, the show, which centers on flailing married couple Paul (Ray Romano) and Lydia Morgan (Lisa Kudrow), is ripe for bingeing heading into the holidays.TIME, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Some of these promotions are simply flogging pro-MAGA paraphernalia.David Gilbert, WIRED, 29 Nov. 2024
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One man from the Bajrang Dal holds him by the collar of his torn gray shirt while Premi flogs him with a belt, displaying no hesitation.Mohammad Ali, WIRED, 14 Apr. 2020
Thesaurus Entries Near flagellate
Cite this Entry
“Flagellate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flagellate. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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