Literal:
* The injured bird flailed its wings helplessly on the ground.
* The swimmer flailed in the strong current, desperately trying to reach the shore.
Figurative:
* After the accident, he flailed for words to express his shock.
* The politician's speech was a jumbled mess of ideas that flailed about without any real direction.
* The company flailed financially after losing its biggest client.
In a humorous context:
* I tried to dance, but I just ended up flailing my limbs around like a confused octopus.
The meaning of "flailed" depends on the context. It can describe physical movements, such as struggling or thrashing about, or it can be used metaphorically to describe a lack of control or direction in something like a speech, argument, or situation.