: a hand threshing implement consisting of a wooden handle at the end of which a stouter and shorter stick is so hung as to swing freely
flailed; flailing; flails
1
a
: to strike with or as if with a flail
The bird's wings flailed the water.
b
: to move, swing, or beat as if wielding a flail
flailing a club to drive away the insects
2
: to thresh (grain) with a flail
: to move, swing, or beat like a flail
arms flailing in the water
Examples of flail in a Sentence
Verb
They were flailing their arms to drive away the insects.
The wounded animal lay on the ground, flailing helplessly.
He was wildly flailing about on the dance floor.
The bird's wings flailed the water.
Recent Examples on the Web
Colleen Long, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2024
Bruins quickly tie it up Just over a minute after Matthew Tkachuk’s goal, the Bruins’ Morgan Geekie tied the game by sending a rebound past a flailing Sergei Bobrovsky.
1-1, 7:08 left in the second.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for flail 
Verb
The contempt effort is seen by Democrats as a last-ditch effort to keep Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into Biden alive, despite a series of setbacks in recent months and flailing support for articles of impeachment within the GOP conference.
—Colleen Long, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2024
Bruins quickly tie it up Just over a minute after Matthew Tkachuk’s goal, the Bruins’ Morgan Geekie tied the game by sending a rebound past a flailing Sergei Bobrovsky.
1-1, 7:08 left in the second.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for flail
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flail
Cite this Entry
“Flail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flail. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flail
1 of 2 noun
: a tool for threshing grain by hand
flail
2 of 2 verb1
: to strike with or as if with a flail
2
: to move or wave about as if swinging a flail
flailed their arms
Medical Definition
flail
adjective
: exhibiting abnormal mobility and loss of response to normal controls
—used of body parts damaged by paralysis, injury, or surgery
flail joint
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