as in to whip
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
some medieval monks believed it was necessary to flagellate themselves in order to keep their desires in check
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Recent Examples of flagellate
One Peruvian candidate has taken time to talk about his habit of wearing a wire chain, known as a cilice, every day to flagellate himself.
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Star Tribune, 8 Apr. 2021
All are said to have had affairs with Lucian Freud (was there anyone who didn’t?), three with Arthur Koestler and one with Egypt’s King Farouk (who liked to flagellate her on the steps of the royal palace with his dressing-gown cord).
—Moira Hodgson, WSJ, 31 Jan. 2020
Muslims were mobilizing; once, Mr. Rizvi visited during Muharram, an annual ritual of mourning, and found her surrounded by pilgrims, flagellating themselves with chains to which razor blades had been attached.
—Ellen Barry, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2019
Tech companies have self-flagellated a lot on these issues.
—Frank Bajak, SFChronicle.com, 14 Oct. 2019
See all Example Sentences for flagellate 
Star Tribune, 8 Apr. 2021
All are said to have had affairs with Lucian Freud (was there anyone who didn’t?), three with Arthur Koestler and one with Egypt’s King Farouk (who liked to flagellate her on the steps of the royal palace with his dressing-gown cord).
—Moira Hodgson, WSJ, 31 Jan. 2020
Muslims were mobilizing; once, Mr. Rizvi visited during Muharram, an annual ritual of mourning, and found her surrounded by pilgrims, flagellating themselves with chains to which razor blades had been attached.
—Ellen Barry, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2019
Tech companies have self-flagellated a lot on these issues.
—Frank Bajak, SFChronicle.com, 14 Oct. 2019
See all Example Sentences for flagellate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flagellate
Verb
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The stars reside within the S-cluster, a group of high-speed stellar bodies that whip around Sgr A* under its immense gravitational pull.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
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Gently fold 1 cup of the whipped topping into the thickened peanut butter mixture, just until combined; set aside.Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Yang then bemoaned how people shoot lasers at him and hide their kids.Anne McCarthy, Variety, 22 Dec. 2024
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Discover joy and wonder hidden behind the daily routine of a konbini worker, explore every nook and cranny around the store, and help your customers navigate their lives in branching conversations with meaningful choices!Mitch Wallace, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Verb
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As companies increasingly slash management roles, the era of hands-on bosses like Scott could be coming to an end.Jack Kelly, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
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In honor of the blowout New Year’s Day sale,the retailer slashed prices by up to a massive 89 percent.Megan Schaltegger, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
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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
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In reality, Watson wasn’t a bar fighter or famous for horsewhipping cowboys.Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian, 12 Mar. 2018
Verb
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Every Indian restaurant is doing butter chicken now, and Marigold’s is very carefully rendered so that the meat is tender and very juicy and the creamy onion-tomato sauce lashed with fenugreek ($22) is absorbed with the cooking process.John Mariani, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
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What's New Several GOP lawmakers have lashed out at House Speaker Mike Johnson after congressional leaders on Tuesday announced a short-term stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Almost from the start, Dharavi was defined by its industries: from the traditional potters of Gujarat who began arriving in the late 1800s, to leather tanners from Tamil Nadu and embroidery workers from Uttar Pradesh.Jessie Yeung, CNN, 29 June 2024
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Look to leather knee-high pairs from Jimmy Choo, Isabel Marant, Khaite, and & Other Stories for a similar version of the model-off-duty style.Laura Jackson, Vogue, 15 Aug. 2022
Verb
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With a flailing Jo Koy at the helm, the Golden Globes’ party seriously fizzled: Not even the dissolution of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024
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This leads to the familiar scene of Mary coming home to her living room lined in plastic wrap, where a flailing Dexter pounces on her and eventually restrains her to his signature table.Hunter Ingram, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Eriksen has already been severely flogged and beaten by De Schinkel’s brutish cohorts Bondo (Thomas W. Gabrielsson) and Paulli (Soren Malling).James Verniere, Boston Herald, 2 Feb. 2024
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Some of these promotions are simply flogging pro-MAGA paraphernalia.David Gilbert, WIRED, 29 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near flagellate
Cite this Entry
“Flagellate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flagellate. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.
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