1
: to move in a brusque or headlong manner
flung out of the room in a rage
2
of an animal
: to kick or plunge vigorously
3
Scotland
: caper
1
a
: to throw forcefully, impetuously, or casually
flung herself down on the sofa
clothes were flung on the floor
b
: to cast as if by throwing
flung off all restraint
2
: to place or send suddenly and unceremoniously (see unceremonious sense 2)
was arrested and flung into prison
3
: to give unrestrainedly
flung himself into music
1
: an act or instance of flinging
2
a
: a casual try or involvement
b
: a casual or brief love affair
3
: a period devoted to self-indulgence
Synonyms
Examples of fling in a Sentence
Verb
He flung his shoe across the room.
She flung the door open and stormed into the room.
They flung their hats into the air.
She flung herself into his arms.
He flung his arms around her.
I flung back my head and laughed.
He leaned back and flung his leg over the arm of the chair.
She flung herself onto the couch.
Noun
She had a fling with her boss.
They had time for one last fling before going back to school.
Recent Examples on the Web
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Firing cluster shells and anti-tank missiles and flinging explosive first-person-view drones, the 65th Brigade defeated the attack—and exacted some revenge for the men and women of the 110th Brigade who died defending Avdiivka.
—David Axe, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
Byron is surveying rout and pillage, and the terrible ease with which the laws of civil society, such as respect for the elderly, are flung aside.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024
After the war, Cartier produced a brooch of that same bird, now singing, his cage flung wide open.
—Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024
Other beach-goers danced, flung Frisbees and footballs, kicked soccer balls and even duked it out in boxing gloves.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2024
The incoming storm flung enough cloud cover northward at just the right height to deliver Friday’s stunning scenes.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024
Putin, a former KGB spy, was just 46 when he was flung to the top level of politics in 1999, plucked from relative obscurity by an ailing Boris Yeltsin to serve as Russian prime minister and soon became acting president.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
The key to life is flinging yourself into life without a plan and being open to living that way.
—Alix Strauss, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024
Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2024
Swift’s fling with Healy only lasted from May to June of last year, and his friendship with Dacus might not have lasted much longer.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
Despite a couple’s plans to keep things lighthearted, their summer fling turns serious.
—Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Years later, in the frozen aisle of Kroger, my sister pulled me to the side and asked if the rumors of my high school fling were true.
—Amaris Ramey, Parents, 23 Mar. 2024
Although the relationship didn't work out, Carrie did benefit from their brief fling, writing about his bedroom interests in her column.
—Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
Kids came and went out of the house, crossing the border without even a cursory fling of the bedspread.
—Pamela Paul, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024
When this reconnection happens, the new magnetic field lines generate enormous force, like a taut rubber band being snapped, and this force flings plasma out from the sun.
—Rebecca Boyle, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024
The look would scream spring fling, block-party ready, or just casual cool.
—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 27 Mar. 2024
Verb
Subsequent counter-essays flung darts at Kael’s biased research.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Firing cluster shells and anti-tank missiles and flinging explosive first-person-view drones, the 65th Brigade defeated the attack—and exacted some revenge for the men and women of the 110th Brigade who died defending Avdiivka.
—David Axe, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
Byron is surveying rout and pillage, and the terrible ease with which the laws of civil society, such as respect for the elderly, are flung aside.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024
After the war, Cartier produced a brooch of that same bird, now singing, his cage flung wide open.
—Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024
Other beach-goers danced, flung Frisbees and footballs, kicked soccer balls and even duked it out in boxing gloves.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2024
The incoming storm flung enough cloud cover northward at just the right height to deliver Friday’s stunning scenes.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024
Putin, a former KGB spy, was just 46 when he was flung to the top level of politics in 1999, plucked from relative obscurity by an ailing Boris Yeltsin to serve as Russian prime minister and soon became acting president.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
The key to life is flinging yourself into life without a plan and being open to living that way.
—Alix Strauss, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
Most of the songs appear to chronicle Swift’s six-year romance with British actor Joe Alwyn, while others clearly allude to her subsequent three-month fling with singer/songwriter Matty Healy, also British.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2024
Swift’s fling with Healy only lasted from May to June of last year, and his friendship with Dacus might not have lasted much longer.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
Despite a couple’s plans to keep things lighthearted, their summer fling turns serious.
—Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Years later, in the frozen aisle of Kroger, my sister pulled me to the side and asked if the rumors of my high school fling were true.
—Amaris Ramey, Parents, 23 Mar. 2024
Although the relationship didn't work out, Carrie did benefit from their brief fling, writing about his bedroom interests in her column.
—Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
Kids came and went out of the house, crossing the border without even a cursory fling of the bedspread.
—Pamela Paul, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024
When this reconnection happens, the new magnetic field lines generate enormous force, like a taut rubber band being snapped, and this force flings plasma out from the sun.
—Rebecca Boyle, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024
The look would scream spring fling, block-party ready, or just casual cool.
—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fling
Cite this Entry
“Fling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fling. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fling
1 of 2 verb1
: to move in an abrupt or headlong manner
flung out of the room in a huff
2
: to kick or plunge vigorously
the horse flung out at him as he went by
3
a
: to throw or swing with force
flung herself down on the couch
b
: to cast aside : discard
4
: to put suddenly and unexpectedly into a state or condition
flung into confusion
fling
2 of 2 noun1
: an act or instance of flinging
2
: a casual try or involvement
3
: a time of freedom for pleasure
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