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
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025
In its entirety, the film flails when attempting to find a compelling story and a coherent throughline for these characters’ lives.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
That said, there’s a very fine line between healthy affection and desperately flailing to prove your worth.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
George decides the best way to test the waters to see who floats and who flails is to throw a dinner party at their house.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flail
Verb
After flailing through the first three quarters, Buzelis played two minutes and 17 seconds in the fourth quarter before he was tugged completely out of the rotation.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025
In its entirety, the film flails when attempting to find a compelling story and a coherent throughline for these characters’ lives.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
That said, there’s a very fine line between healthy affection and desperately flailing to prove your worth.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
George decides the best way to test the waters to see who floats and who flails is to throw a dinner party at their house.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flail
Verb
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With the Penguins leading 1-0 in the third period on Sunday in St. Paul, Crosby’s fluttering shot from the left circle just eluded Fleury’s glove and ended up as the game-winner.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
10 Mar. 2025
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There are miles of trails and gardens to keep you busy all day, including the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, which is surrounded by gardens and filled with fluttering butterflies.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The moment was so precious that Reed whipped out her phone to take a quick video and later shared it on TikTok.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA TODAY,
18 Mar. 2025
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Blizzards expected in Northern Plains Forecasters warned that heavy snow whipped by powerful winds are likely to make travel treacherous in parts of the Rockies and Northern Plains.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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Related article Holocaust becomes political bludgeon as Netanyahu returns to a country at crossroads Dekel-Chen was 35 years old when he was kidnapped while trying to defend his Nir Oz from Hamas attackers.—
Dana Karni, Ibrahim Dahman and Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, 62,000 people are watching her feathers flap in the breeze as the tree sways live on YouTube.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
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He’s dosed that particular dish with truth serum, the better to get tongues flapping around the dinner table.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The ancient springhead, natural waterpark, and retro roadside attraction has more than a few secrets hidden in its eelgrass.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
22 Mar. 2025
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Applied to animation, AI tools are a little better hidden and do seem to be a more natural extension of traditional CGI, itself an advancement of 2D animation.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Asked about the Trump regime’s use of funding as a cudgel Friday, Hochul brushed it off.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2025
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Impeachment must be reserved for cases involving serious misconduct or corruption, not trotted out as a cudgel to threaten federal jurists for doing their jobs.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Big studios have slashed budgets, making life for production crews more financially precarious.—
Steven Kurutz,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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The vacuum, which is typically priced at $450, has been slashed to just $300 at Amazon.—
Amy Schulman,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Injured in a fall during infancy, McCombs depended on the support of a cane for the rest of his life.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
22 Mar. 2025
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Alas, Mount Gay doesn’t grow enough cane to use in all its rums, and Single Estate is still limited to a few thousand bottles per year.—
Tony Sachs,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flail. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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