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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On a Friday night in February on East Sixth Street, a steely-eyed bar doorman rushed around a crowd agitating on the sidewalk and whipped a flashlight above his shoulder.—
Ella McCarthy,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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While the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has begun rolling back its shoes-off policy at security checkpoints, this ability to whip them off and on in seconds is still majorly convenient for travel.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
29 July 2025
Verb
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Zakrzewski bought a machete during his lunch break, took it home and sharpened it before hiding it and a crowbar, according to court records.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
1 Aug. 2025
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The lawsuit accuses Tucson police of hiding or destroying evidence in the case, including radar evidence of Wadsack's speed, Pettey's recording of her conversation with Wadsack and several minutes of audio on Schrage's bodycam footage.—
Sarah Lapidus,
AZCentral.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Opposition parties have since stymied Lai's agenda, refusing to approve constitutional court justices, slashing spending, and cutting defense budgets.—
Jan Camenzind Broomby,
NPR,
26 July 2025
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During his first term, Trump repeatedly lambasted the Fed chair for failing to slash rates quickly and aggressively enough, but his offensive has been far more strident in his current tenure.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Underneath her coat, Witherspoon wore an ankle-length black skirt and leather round-toe boots.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
28 Jan. 2025
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Compare with the Met’s full-size cast, from 1985, and these miniatures cleave the collective anguish into distinct emotions — one figure seems mid-dance, one bored, another ecstatic — in a range of patinas, from dark chocolate to leather.—
Walker Mimms,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The face of the franchise lashed at a breaking ball in the fifth, pulling a hit onto open grass to double the lead.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
26 July 2025
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Beijing has lashed out against those concerns, including the 27-member bloc’s move last year to raise tariffs on its electric vehicles, launching a range of its own trade probes in apparent retaliation.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horsewhip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horsewhip. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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