as in to whip
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
the pirate captain threatened to horsewhip any of his crew who questioned his orders
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horsewhip
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
In reality, Watson wasn’t a bar fighter or famous for horsewhipping cowboys.
—Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian, 12 Mar. 2018
Kyle Smith, National Review, 23 Apr. 2020
In reality, Watson wasn’t a bar fighter or famous for horsewhipping cowboys.
—Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian, 12 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horsewhip
Verb
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Meister can often immediately identify on an MRI that a pitcher throws a sweeper—a hard slider that the pitcher whips to get about fifteen inches of horizontal movement from the ball.—
Lindsey Adler,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2025
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The moment, which made the episode’s final cut, occurs when Drummond whips Mark S. around and pushes him into a wall.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
27 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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That event presented an opportunity that was too good to pass up: the chance to explore the seafloor below the iceberg’s original location—like overturning a rock or log in the woods to see what creatures lie hidden underneath.—
Ashley Balzer Vigil,
Scientific American,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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News round-up Real Madrid set up El Clasico in Spain’s Supercopa by leathering Mallorca 3-0 last night.—
Phil Hay,
The Athletic,
10 Jan. 2025
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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
Verb
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However, Cabello lashed out at U.S. authorities, accusing them of unjustly detaining and deporting Venezuelans under false claims of gang affiliations.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2025
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In early March, tropical storm Alfred battered Australia’s heavily populated east coast, lashing the region with damaging winds and heavy rain for several days as hundreds of thousands of homes in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales lost power.—
Edward Szekeres and Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horsewhip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horsewhip. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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