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
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Aug. 2025
Besides a full day of groundbreaking music, flailing fans can buy vintage and new merch, local food and drink, and enjoy immersive CBGB installations, including the notorious bar and stage from the original club.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for flail
Noun
Kickboxing robots flailed wildly before falling over, and some sprinters crashed into rivals.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Aug. 2025
Besides a full day of groundbreaking music, flailing fans can buy vintage and new merch, local food and drink, and enjoy immersive CBGB installations, including the notorious bar and stage from the original club.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for flail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flail
Verb
-
Later, Tom pours vodka into a Phillies cup and watches birds flutter by at night while Robbie gets his guns ready and shakes down a trap house.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
-
In the Lower West Side of Chicago, music blared and green, white and red flags fluttered down the streets of the predominantly Latino Pilsen neighborhood on Saturday as crowds gathered for the start of Mexican Independence Day celebrations.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The tight end completed a pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes for a 37-yard score in the fourth quarter and whipped out some moves in the end zone to celebrate.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
People also experimented with brown sugar, oat milk, or whipped foam to mimic the cookie’s sweetness and texture.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 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
-
These behaviors included; lifting one leg, spinning around on a perch, and flapping their wings on command (Figure 1B).—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Birds can soar through the sky for long periods without flapping their wings.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The most notorious, in 1978, saw the late queen hide behind a bush in the gardens of Buckingham Palace to avoid Nicolae Ceaușescu, having already removed anything that the Romanian dictator could steal from his room following a warning from Giscard d'Estaing, the then French president.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Other newborns were given away by their grandparents who conspired with doctors, priests and nuns to hide a daughter’s socially embarrassing pregnancy.—
Rafael Romo,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Children are both a key motivator and cudgel for these men.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
While the rest of Burning Man celebrated, Kruglov lay prostrate on the ground at a faraway campsite in a comparatively desolate section of Black Rock City, his throat slashed, as a puddle of blood congealed around his lifeless body.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The sharp drop in mortgage rates owes in part to government data showing a significant decline in hiring, which has heightened expectations that the Federal Reserve will slash interest rates and in turn put downward pressure on borrowing costs, some analysts told ABC News.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Gretna, Louisiana, offers family-friendly fun like pumpkin patches, hay rides, and corn and sugar cane festivals this time of year.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
An older man walked by slowly, using a cane.—
Janie Har,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flail. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share