as in flutters
to move or cause to move with a striking motion
the stirring sight of a huge flock of geese flapping their wings
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flaps
The music is loose and spacious, billowing like fabric that flaps at the slightest breeze.
—
Andrew Ryce,
Pitchfork,
24 June 2026
The structure flaps its wings when powered by electricity.
—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
View gallery - 7 images A wooden dragon sculpture that gently flaps its wings has become a crowd-funding hit, but after seeing the traditional handcrafted work that's been put into every single model, making each one unique, the value of such a piece becomes strikingly clear.
—
New Atlas,
24 Mar. 2026
To clean your garbage disposal, Lane suggests starting by cleaning the rubber flaps by using dish soap and a brush or an old toothbrush to scrub the rubber flaps that line the disposal.
—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
4 Feb. 2026
New features like active aero (flaps that open on the front and rear wings) help forge a much closer relationship between the engine and the chassis around it.
—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Squirrel-like Skwovets and Greedents hoard their berries and jam their cheeks with food as a Fearow flaps its wings overhead.
—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
In the canonical metaphorical example, a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, and the cascading sequence of atmospheric perturbations leads to a tornado in Texas.
—
Dan Garisto,
Scientific American,
22 Oct. 2025
That goes for Jimmy Kimmel and for anybody who flaps their gums for a living.
—
Jesse Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Andrew Ryce,
Pitchfork,
24 June 2026
The structure flaps its wings when powered by electricity.
—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
View gallery - 7 images A wooden dragon sculpture that gently flaps its wings has become a crowd-funding hit, but after seeing the traditional handcrafted work that's been put into every single model, making each one unique, the value of such a piece becomes strikingly clear.
—
New Atlas,
24 Mar. 2026
To clean your garbage disposal, Lane suggests starting by cleaning the rubber flaps by using dish soap and a brush or an old toothbrush to scrub the rubber flaps that line the disposal.
—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
4 Feb. 2026
New features like active aero (flaps that open on the front and rear wings) help forge a much closer relationship between the engine and the chassis around it.
—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Squirrel-like Skwovets and Greedents hoard their berries and jam their cheeks with food as a Fearow flaps its wings overhead.
—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
In the canonical metaphorical example, a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, and the cascading sequence of atmospheric perturbations leads to a tornado in Texas.
—
Dan Garisto,
Scientific American,
22 Oct. 2025
That goes for Jimmy Kimmel and for anybody who flaps their gums for a living.
—
Jesse Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flaps
flutters
Verb
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Iran’s flag before the 1979 revolution — green, white and red with a lion and a rising sun — flutters from many overhangs.
-
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel (center) flutters a Venezuelan and Cuban national flags in support of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Havana.
Cite this Entry
“Flaps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flaps. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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