thrash about

Idioms  

1. Also, thrash around. Move wildly or violently, as in He thrashed about all night, unable to sleep, or The fish thrashed around on the dock, so Meg threw it back in the water. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

Sharks thrash about in the turbid water between us and the man.

From Washington Post • Apr. 11, 2022

“We thrash about, appallingly led, with no particular goal other than economic growth and unfettered consumption,” he writes.

From The Guardian • Feb. 17, 2018

In “Monumental,” that truism is illustrated by this Canadian dance company, whose members thrash about and cavort in black-and-white work attire, channeling both cogs in the capitalist machine and animals trying to escape their cage.

From New York Times • Sep. 15, 2016

Firstly, sharks mistake swimmers for their usual prey such as seals, especially if they thrash about in water and wear shiny objects that resemble fish skin.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2015

To flounder is to stumble awkwardly or thrash about like a fish out of water.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner