flog
verb
ˈfläg 
flogged; flogging
transitive verb
1
a
: to beat with or as if with a rod or whip
The sailors were flogged for attempting a mutiny.
b
: to criticize harshly
He was flogged in the press for failing to take action.
2
: to force or urge into action : drive
3
a
chiefly British : to sell (something, such as stolen goods) illegally
flogged their employers' petrol to ordinary motorists 
Economist
Economist b
: sell sense 7
traveled by horse, flogging encyclopedias Robert Darnton
Robert Darntonflogging wares at the local discount outlet Ronald Henkoff
Ronald Henkoff c
: to promote aggressively : plug
flying around the world flogging your movies Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich4
British : steal sense 1
intransitive verb
1
: flap, flutter
sails flogging
2
British : to move along with difficulty : slog
flogger noun
Synonyms
- birch
- cowhide
- flagellate
- flail
- hide
- horsewhip
- lash
- leather
- rawhide
- scourge
- slash
- switch
- tan
- thrash
- whale
- whip
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The sailors were flogged for attempting a mutiny. a graphic depiction of a sailor being flogged by the captain for disobeying orders
Recent Examples on the Web While politicians flog the high prices of some new treatments such as gene and cancer immunotherapies, competition from generics is driving down prices for older drugs that more patients use. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 14 July 2022 The idea is not to flog yourself for mistakes but to acknowledge them with future improvements in mind. New York Times, 28 Dec. 2021 Not to mention that the reconciliation process frequently results in the theatrics of the minority party using the Byrd rule to publicly flog the majority party’s policies. Marie Sapirie, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2021 Is there any real difference between such magical thinking and the superstitions that led medieval peasants to flog themselves? Niall Ferguson Bloomberg Opinion, Star Tribune, 31 July 2021 Republicans used Lordstown to flog a Rust Belt revival. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 14 June 2021 Selling vehicles directly forges a bond with buyers that may help flog services in the future. The Economist, 11 Apr. 2021 Garuda is not the only Asian airline to flog its food to the land-lubbing public. The Economist, 29 Aug. 2020 And right on time the opponents of fossil fuels are flogging a sloppy study that ties pollutants to coronavirus deaths. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 4 May 2020 See More
The Editorial Board, WSJ, 14 July 2022 The idea is not to flog yourself for mistakes but to acknowledge them with future improvements in mind. New York Times, 28 Dec. 2021 Not to mention that the reconciliation process frequently results in the theatrics of the minority party using the Byrd rule to publicly flog the majority party’s policies. Marie Sapirie, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2021 Is there any real difference between such magical thinking and the superstitions that led medieval peasants to flog themselves? Niall Ferguson Bloomberg Opinion, Star Tribune, 31 July 2021 Republicans used Lordstown to flog a Rust Belt revival. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 14 June 2021 Selling vehicles directly forges a bond with buyers that may help flog services in the future. The Economist, 11 Apr. 2021 Garuda is not the only Asian airline to flog its food to the land-lubbing public. The Economist, 29 Aug. 2020 And right on time the opponents of fossil fuels are flogging a sloppy study that ties pollutants to coronavirus deaths. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 4 May 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
perhaps modification of Latin flagellare to whip — more at flagellate
First Known Use
circa 1676, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Phrases Containing flog
Kids Definition
flog
verb
ˈfläg
flogged; flogging
: to beat severely with a rod or whip
flogs
verb
1
as in whips
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible a graphic depiction of a sailor being flogged by the captain for disobeying orders Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- whips
- hides
- slashes
- slaps
- thrashes
- spanks
- flails
- flicks
- switches
- lashes
- horsewhips
- flagellates
- knocks
- hits
- leathers
- smacks
- scourges
- licks
- mauls
- cuts
- tans
- whacks
- punches
- birches
- cowhides
- rawhides
- bangs
- pounds
- whales
- straps
- beats
- bats
- clips
- quirts
- thumps
- swipes
- claps
- canes
- swats
- boxes
- knouts
- bashes
- pummels
- smites
- thwacks
- clobbers
- bludgeons
- clouts
- mangles
- clubs
- cudgels
- lambastes
- pelts
- wallops
- socks
- touches up
- paddles
- threshes
- bops
- blackjacks
- cracks
- hammers
- pastes
- bastes
- lambasts
- cuffs
- lathers
- belts
- lams
- slates
- slugs
- busts
- slogs
- bungs
- laces
- batters
- works over
- roughs
- fustigates
- belabors
- buffets
- whups
- pommels
- drubs
- whaps
- fibs
- pistol-whips
- whops
- tromps
2
as in licks
to strike repeatedly was fined heavily for flogging a horse Synonyms & Similar Words
- whips
- licks
- hides
- lashes
- pounds
- slaps
- beats
- spanks
- thumps
- does
- knocks
- pelts
- slams
- mauls
- hits
- smashes
- attacks
- pummels
- assaults
- bashes
- batters
- thrashes
- punches
- bludgeons
- bats
- smacks
- lambastes
- whacks
- chops
- threshes
- paddles
- wallops
- hammers
- bastes
- lambasts
- switches
- lathers
- boxes
- raids
- slates
- belts
- slogs
- clubs
- tans
- works over
- laces
- belabors
- buffets
- pommels
- punches out
- curries
- birches
- whups
- whaps
- drubs
- fibs
- storms
- swipes
- swats
- whops
- whales
- assails
- tromps
- beats up on
- thwacks
- wounds
- rushes
- clouts
- cracks
- bungs up
- pastes
- whams
- clobbers
- straps
- socks
- canes
- besets
- cudgels
- cuffs
- roughs (up)
- flagellates
- lams
- lacerates
- leathers
- scourges
- mutilates
- lays on
- busts
- messes (up)
- mangles
- horsewhips
- maims
- whomps
- blackjacks
- cowhides
- gores
- rawhides
- descends (on or upon)
- fustigates
- jumps (on)
- pistol-whips
- pounces (on or upon)
3
as in shuffles
British to move heavily or clumsily for most of the night, searchers flogged through the marsh, crying out for the lost child Synonyms & Similar Words
- shuffles
- stomps
- stumbles
- hauls
- barges
- flounders
- drags
- lurches
- weaves
- trudges
- tramps
- stumps
- lumps
- plods
- sloughs
- lumbers
- slogs
- shambles
- clumps
- staggers
- stamps
- scuffs
- tromps
- pounds
- sways
- scuffles
- flops
- galumphs
- totters
- waddles
- dodders
- teeters
- reels
- wobbles
- careens
- blunders
- wabbles
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- glides
- slides
- whisks
- waltzes
- hangs
- floats
- hovers
- drifts
- wafts
- poises
- breezes
- coasts
4
as in stumbles
British to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually ignoring the groans and catcalls that his speech was provoking, the backbencher flogged away Synonyms & Similar Words
- stumbles
- shuffles
- flounders
- struggles
- limps
- lurches
- trudges
- plods
- blunders
- jogs
- lumbers
- sways
- staggers
- falters
- shambles
- wallows
- totters
- fumbles
- reels
- bumbles
- teeters
- muddles
- welters
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- flies
- sails
- glides
- zooms
- zips
- coasts
- kilts
- prepare
- prepare (for)
- prepare for
- prepared
- prepared (for)
- prepared bid
- prepared for
- prepared opium
- prepared roofing
- prepared sizes
- preparedly
- preparedness
- preparednesses
- preparental
- preparer
- preparers
- prepares
- prepares (for)
- prepares for
- preparietal
- preparing
- preparing (for)
- preparing for
- prepaste
- prepasted