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
Relevance
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
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.
Recent Examples of flail
Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Ellison arrives at Paramount well-prepared in terms of the executives he’s chosen to help right the flailing entertainment conglomerate, which has been under the rule of the Sumner Redstone family for more than three decades.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Fitzgerald went to Fonseca as the World Review, the highly respected literary publication she and her husband Desmond co-edited, was flailing financially.
—Jane Ciabattari
august 12, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
The central sanctuary has been flailing since Rudy Giuliani’s drug war pushed out the Limelight.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flail
Noun
On Sunday, Merrill flailed at two sliders in the dirt from Tyler Glasnow before looking at a third down the middle for strike three to strand a runner in the first inning.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Ellison arrives at Paramount well-prepared in terms of the executives he’s chosen to help right the flailing entertainment conglomerate, which has been under the rule of the Sumner Redstone family for more than three decades.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Fitzgerald went to Fonseca as the World Review, the highly respected literary publication she and her husband Desmond co-edited, was flailing financially.
—Jane Ciabattari
august 12, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
The central sanctuary has been flailing since Rudy Giuliani’s drug war pushed out the Limelight.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flail
Verb
-
From November to March, the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve transforms into a vibrant, fluttering kingdom.—
Gaby Keiderling,
Robb Report,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Their tops and Tate’s hair fluttered in the breeze of a wind machine absurdly cranked up to Stage 4 hurricane levels.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
His best friend’s little sister sets out to whip him back into shape.—
Tessa Bailey,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Boaters were the last to be warned to watch the sky as a line of wind-whipping storms pushed out to sea.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The transformation of the rattlesnake into a colonial icon coincided with the demise of the snakes themselves as settlers began to bludgeon rattlesnakes by the thousands.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Aug. 2025
-
While Israel was conducting its war in Gaza with a merciless bludgeon and no conception of an ending, its tactics against Hezbollah—setting off the beeper bombs, wiping out its missile stocks and weapons depots, killing its military and political leaders—proved far better targeted.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
Verb
-
Birds can soar through the sky for long periods without flapping their wings.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Well, the 23-year-old Belgian was among Europe’s best shot-stopping goalkeepers last season, is quick off his line and appears to be pretty composed, which would be ideal around his two flapping new goalkeeper team mates.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Phillips died in a police shootout on Monday, after officers were alerted to a possible break-in at a farm goods store in Poipoi in the western Waikato district, near to where he was believed to have been hiding out with his kids, CNN, Radio New Zealand (RNZ) and ABC News Australia reported.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Pep Guardiola is a tactile man who does not hide his expressive nature when speaking to his players.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
And there are others who want to use it as a cudgel against history, against the Jewish people, against the State of Israel.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Mass firings of civil servants, the dismissal of government watchdogs, the weaponization of the military against our citizens, the use of the national budget as a cudgel, and the dehumanization of immigrants.—
Stacey Abrams,
Time,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
On the other hand, Democrats have worked to nationalize the race by tying Earle-Sears to Trump and his efforts to slash the federal workforce.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The deadly shooting occurred on a street in the Brownsville section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn near the 73rd Precinct station house, where the suspect slashed an officer with a knife that authorities said had a 14-inch blade, according to police.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Prosecutors said Korosa, who was wearing a walking boot on his foot and using a cane, struck the man on his back and head with the cane, causing the man to fall down the stairs and drop the boy.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
-
That's when Korosa allegedly hit Soria with a cane, causing Soria and Flores to plummet down the stairs.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flail. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share