flails 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of flail
1
as in flutters
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

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2
as in whips
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible gruesome evidence that the prisoner had been flailed

Synonyms & Similar Words

flails

2 of 2

noun

plural of flail
as in bludgeons

Related 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 flails
Verb
Their good fortune is picking up speed, as the increasingly sclerotic and daft president furiously flails. — Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026 As the economy flails and the war in Iraq wages on, 58% of people disapprove of the president, according to a New York Times aggregation of polls. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2026 While Rhaenyra flails from one problem to the next, Ormund plots and schemes and uses his wits to undo his enemies. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 The movements are entirely reflexive, yet the arm that flails more predicts future handedness with a high level of accuracy. — Quanta Magazine, 13 July 2026 Some fans said the actor instead resembled an early-PlayStation-era cutscene character who robotically flails his limbs upon impact. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026 As Frances ascends in the art world, Avery flails financially and emotionally — and the nationwide Adderall shortage isn’t helping. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026 Premiums are poised to rise next year as the party flails on whether to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 16 Dec. 2025 The 16-year-old flails her arms, thrashes and kicks — sometimes for hours. — Calmatters, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flails
  1. flutters
  2. whips
  3. bludgeons
  4. flaps
  5. hides
  6. canes
  7. slashes
  8. batons
Verb
  • The flag of Iran flutters in the wind outside of the IAEA headquarters.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Iran’s flag before the 1979 revolution — green, white and red with a lion and a rising sun — flutters from many overhangs.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Definition of flutters
Verb
  • Castro whips her head around and follows him, punching him in the back.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Green whips out his phone with the fluid motion of a digital native and snaps a photo.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of whips
Noun
  • There’s Xi Jinping mogging Bibi Netanyahu while deafeningly aggro phonk bludgeons away; hype montages paint Marx as history’s greatest theorist and pair Zohran Mamdani quotes with Playboi Carti Die Lit cuts.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of bludgeons
Verb
  • If your dispenser has a latch that flaps open, make sure there is nothing blocking the flap to keep the pod from releasing and dissolving.
    — Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano, The Spruce, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The robot flaps five to six times a second to maintain flight.
    — Ari Daniel, NPR, 9 July 2026
Definition of flaps
Verb
  • What isn’t vintage is mostly custom designed by Levin—a wall-to-wall couch with conversation pit vibes, a wooden bed with an attached bench, a thoughtful floating console that hides a TV.
    — Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026
  • On the day of the scavenger hunt, the team hides its creations around town, while ravenous worm-hunters eagerly await their first hint of where a ceramic worm decorated to look like a pickle, or a crayon, or a rainbow dinosaur, can be found.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of hides
Noun
  • Questions that have been proposed for removal deal with memory, fatigue, arthritis, difficulty walking and climbing stairs, as well as others about the use of hearing aids, canes, wheelchairs and scooters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • This is because fruit development consumes much of the vine’s energy, so removing the fruit at this point allows the vine’s energy to continue to develop a strong cordon, canes (vertical shoots), and root system.
    — The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of canes
Verb
  • Using a sharp knife, make crosswise slashes every 2 in [5 cm] along the body, cutting down to the bone.
    — Emma Specter, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Northrop Grumman slashes overall weight and reduces total part counts, manufacturing combat-ready autonomous jets at a fraction of typical costs.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of slashes
Noun
  • Others spoke of police chokeholds and the grainy footage that showed officers striking King with batons.
    — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Riot police have liberally used tear gas and wielded their batons to disperse crowds.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of batons

Browse Nearby Words

flailing
flails
flair
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Cite this Entry

“Flails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flails. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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