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

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

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

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

The sight of a tree at night flail of glowing Clabbert pustules, while decorative, attracted too many Muggles wishing to ask why their neighbours still had their Christmas lights up in June.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling

So much of his life is mediated though computer screens that, in person, he flails.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2024

Blusteringly self-important, he flails through life, naïve and directionless and pontificating nonetheless.

From New York Times ● May 5, 2023

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

Again, these are big swings, the kind of flails that Dodgers batters take when a playoff game is on the line.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 16, 2022

They beat it out with flails, he and the woman together.

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck

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

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026

They attacked the game, while Rangers flailed wildly.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2025

But throughout the 2025 Emmys telecast, the nice guy comic flailed in the deep end of a flop sweat pool.

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2025

The peacock butterfly caterpillars flailed their bodies—and even bit at the electrodes—about 1.4 times longer, whereas the cinnabar and vapourer caterpillars spent 175 times and 3.3 times longer coiled into tight balls.

From Science Magazine ● May 20, 2024

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

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

"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

Messi toyed with United like a kid on the Playstation - twisting, turning, nutmegging defenders whose flailing white shirts might as well have been a call for surrender.

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

Hannah Einbinder of “Hacks” stars as Kris, an indie-film director tasked to reboot a flailing horror franchise in the vein of “Friday the 13th.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026

Once considered a canny innovator, and then, with his purchase of the flailing Washington Post, a white knight, he has since become the embodiment of capitalism run amok.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026

For all my mad flailing I felt myself sink as surely as I was trying to rise.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo