1
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
her husband flayed her constantly for her incessant shopping
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Recent Examples of flay
Clark, who wore a mischievous smile, flayed her arm once more for the dramatics before stepping on the court and finishing a defensive drill.
—
James Boyd, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
If the robot, who frequently metamorphoses, gives shape to some form of justice, it’s flayed down to a name.
—Elisa Gonzalez, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
The radical potential of the scene has mostly evaporated, flattened and flayed into vague signifiers.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 3 Oct. 2024
Stripped to the bone and flayed by her ugly experiences, both during and for years after, Lidia is emotionally naked, unable even to ask for or accept help.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for flay
James Boyd, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
If the robot, who frequently metamorphoses, gives shape to some form of justice, it’s flayed down to a name.
—Elisa Gonzalez, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
The radical potential of the scene has mostly evaporated, flattened and flayed into vague signifiers.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 3 Oct. 2024
Stripped to the bone and flayed by her ugly experiences, both during and for years after, Lidia is emotionally naked, unable even to ask for or accept help.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for flay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flay
Verb
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In Part 2, viewers see Morticia scold her children for lying to her, yet Morticia is keeping secrets from Wednesday about her past and family.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
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Family matriarch Donna Adelson was scolded by a judge Thursday for weeping in the courtroom after being convicted of orchestrating a 2014 murder-for-hire plot of her former son-in-law, a prominent Florida State University law professor.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In between all the jokes, the film stops more than once to basically lecture on this sad state of affairs, an admirable Sturges-like approach that gets laid on thick, perhaps too thick to merge successfully with the largely comedic rhythm Ansari has established so well.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
7 Sep. 2025
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Coach Eli Drinkwitz brought in guest speakers (including Hill) to lecture players on the rivalry.—
Quentin Corpuel,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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San Juan Unified School District Trustee Nick Bloise was formally reprimanded by the board in relation to his behavior during a school site visit.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Geier, who has a bachelor’s degree in biology, has also been reprimanded by the Maryland Board of Physicians for practicing medicine without a medical license.—
Sarah Owermohle,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flay. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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