flail

While investment and consumption flail, China’s dollar-denominated exports power on, surging almost 20% year-over-year last month on demand for artificial intelligence and clean-energy products.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

He opened the unlocked door of a police vehicle, climbed into the back and began to flail in distress.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026

Gobert was initially assessed a common foul, but officials ruled it a flagrant after a review, saying he made an "unnecessary flail" with his arm.

From Barron's ● Feb. 21, 2026

As a beginner, I expected the arms and hands to flail around, knocking the blocks and cups around the room.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026

And flail the air and tremble and scream.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

In chatty yet carefully measured tunes with nearly as many hooks as words, McRae illuminates the accumulated humiliations and misunderstandings against which every couple flails.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2025

Audiences will wonder that for almost the entirety of “Folie à Deux,” which mostly flails in fits and starts until a tour-de-force sequence in which Arthur/Joker serves as his own lawyer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2024

At times it’s hard to recognize the ascending superstar as he flails at pitches out of the strike zone and, despite his seemingly unflappable persona, shows unmistakable signs of pressing.

From Seattle Times ● May 4, 2023

Even here, within the safe space of his own overlong and clangy movies, he flails for an identity.

From New York Times ● Mar. 16, 2023

He slithers up to a note, hits it, flails, recovers, oozes in the direction of another note.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

He and Gail gave up their salaries and lived off credit cards while Dave flailed, trying to keep their creditors at bay.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

As time passed and no government help appeared, del Giudice became exasperated and flailed at the rubble.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 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

They attacked the game, while Rangers flailed wildly.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2025

I flailed my arms, willing them to seize something that wasn’t plunging downward.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

That said, the performances are so captivating that one quickly becomes embroiled in the imperiled fates of the characters and their flailing attempts to either escape or ignore them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Sir Paul Smith, the doyen of British fashion, is flailing around in his office with two large rubber chickens and making them squeak them with gusto.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

Netflix and other streamers have already split the film industry down the middle, separating those who venerate the art form from those who venerate the dollar, leaving many Hollywood titans flailing somewhere in the middle.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

"She came out with her two little arms flailing," family friend Rolando told AFP, asking to be identified by only his first name.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

“Yes, the symptoms of mono include reacting to things that aren’t there, screaming for no reason at all, and flailing on the ground like you’re about to be ax murdered.”

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia