flail
noun
an instrument for threshing grain, consisting of a staff or handle with a freely swinging stick or bar attached to one end of it.
were flailing
-
past progressiveof flail.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Shiffrin’s arms were flailing as she landed in a patch of soft snow on the upper portion of the Olympia delle Tofane course in Cortina, Italy.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 26, 2024
"His arms were flailing and he was getting more and more distressed," Ailsa said.
From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2023
Conversely, during the financial crisis, when corporations were flailing, Main Street was hurting even worse.
From New York Times ● Sep. 18, 2021
‘People were flailing at themselves from hunger’—that kind of thing.”
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 13, 2020
The crew were flailing away with their axes.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
