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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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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But listening to Magazine—their new 10-track, 11-minute album—that artful density becomes singular, swaying as much as whipping between its frantic ideas.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
12 June 2026
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At one point, about a dozen people, most wearing Knicks jerseys, jumped on top of a cab stuck in traffic and stomped on and busted the front windshield, while several revelers took turns using belts to whip the hood of the taxi, according to bystander video.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Verb
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This automatically measures the distance between the edges of the folding panels, uses sensors to detect offsets and recalibrates the brightness of adjacent LEDs to hide the tiny slot.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 June 2026
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Achieving it in reality would be brutally hard because the target moves, hides, jams, uses decoys, and fights back.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Deleon had at least seven prior arrests, including a 2022 case in which he was accused of slashing a man in the neck.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
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Residents have offered several suggestions for cuts, including reducing pensions, slashing commissioners' salaries in half, cutting the city manager's salary, eliminating staff redundancy, getting rid of take-home cars, and pausing park upgrades without public input.—
Ted Scouten,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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From Ikebana studios in Kyoto to leather workshops in Florence and tartan looms in Stirling, a growing number of trips now build entire itineraries around a single craft.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
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The main space includes a custom kitchen with an induction Verona stove, leathered granite counters and a large copper farmhouse sink.—
Kaitlyn Keegan,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump lashed out at Ossoff in his Truth Social post on June 14.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
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Hurricane Fiona pummeled Puerto Rico in September 2022 as a Category 1 storm, lashing once more a power grid that hadn’t been rebuilt from Hurricane Maria.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horsewhip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horsewhip. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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