flail
Example Sentences
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With the USA bats continuing to flail against Rodriguez, the Venezuelans doubled their lead in the top of the fifth inning.
From Barron's ● Mar. 18, 2026
Such small fry could easily flail or fail.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
Greg, seeing his daughter flail, decides to do whatever he can to help.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2026
"When other fish get caught in those nets they sort of flail and it sends out a vibration underwater, sort of like ringing the dinner bell," says Prof Pepin-Neff.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2025
My eyes wander over to a small chest sitting under my desk, flail of the 200,000 Notes I received for capturing Day.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
When he flails the way he did in the playoffs last year, it’s bound to raise suspicions that he’s distracted or not entirely invested in the sport in which he makes his living.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2024
Men wore black, rhythmically beating their chests in mourning or using flails to strike their backs.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 28, 2023
But the drama flails in its final stages.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2023
Lawson appears to be pulling Sheppard down, and after Lawson disappears, Sheppard flies more freely, but also flails, falling in beautiful slow-motion arcs.
From New York Times ● Aug. 26, 2022
My brain flails for an excuse, but Dad doesn’t seem fazed.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Wilson flailed, clearly unprepared to explain the facts laid out in the indictment.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
The new storefronts have especially been a boon for malls, which flailed after the rise of online shopping.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
The Braves were a ratings hit, and when the team flailed and went up for sale, Turner’s company became its owner in 1976.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
Stagflation set in, and the Nixon, Ford and Carter administrations all flailed helplessly at the beast.
From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026
He flailed toward the side of the pool.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Now a respected New Yorker magazine writer promoting his forthcoming book on the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Michael is contacted by Lou, who has been flailing since returning to the States.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The ambitious Mr. Khanna has instead tried to distinguish himself by flailing after every bandwagon that goes by, from Jeffrey Epstein and billionaire wealth taxes to AI regulation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
A humanoid’s frantic attempts to stay upright—arms flailing, legs skittering—bears an uncanny resemblance to the choreographed collapses of Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton.
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026
Rangers were flailing in the opening 45 minutes as Jagiellonia cut them open with ease, capitalising on numerous lapses in concentration.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
By the time I looked up again, Marlene was charging off through the snow, chasing the dog away, trumpeting as she went, her trunk flailing, her ears in full sail.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Vocabulary lists containing flail
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