flak

noun \ ˈflak \

variants: or less commonly flack

Updated on: 13 May 2018

Definition of flak

plural flak also flack

1 : antiaircraft guns

2 : the bursting shells fired from flak

3 or less commonly flack : criticism, opposition

See flak defined for English-language learners

See flak defined for kids

Examples of flak in a Sentence

He caught heavy flak for his decision to oppose the new school.
He took a lot of flak from the other kids for his unusual appearance.

Recent Examples of flak from the Web

Before the video, Mr. Peña Nieto’s government caught a lot of flak from critics who have accused it of not taking a strong stance against Mr. Trump’s unending stream of insults and attacks.

— josé de córdoba and anthony harrup, WSJ, "Trump’s Attacks on Mexico Spur Backlash South of the Border," 6 Apr. 2018
Midfielders Who's Hot Dele Alli - The England international has copped a lot of flak this season but turned in a match-winning display against Chelsea and now has three goals and two assists in his last three league games.

— SI.com, "Premier League Fantasy Football: Who's Hot and Who's Not in Gameweek 33," 6 Apr. 2018
This, of course, isn't the first time Warren has taken flak from political opponents over her claim of being part Cherokee.

— christina capatides, CBS News, ""Real Indian" running against Sen. Elizabeth Warren defends sign calling her "Fake Indian"," 24 Apr. 2018
For as much as is possible on a team that’s begun the year with 16 wins in its first 22 games, Avila had turned into something of a local whipping boy, catching flak from fans and radio hosts for his brutal start.

— nick piecoro, azcentral, "Alex Avila, Robbie Ray take steps forward in Diamondbacks' road win over Phillies," 24 Apr. 2018
And Graham, once thought to be the frontrunner, has repeatedly drawn flak from the field for her conservative congressional votes.

— kirby wilson, miamiherald, "Debate is a reminder that none of the Democrats running for governor has caught fire | Miami Herald," 18 Apr. 2018
This isn't the first time that the actress caught flak after posting a picture with her son.

— amanda garrity, Good Housekeeping, "Elizabeth Hurley's Instagrams With Her Son Are Causing a Stir Online," 17 Apr. 2018
Likewise, a tough escalation of the political pushback against Putin will inevitably mean more flak from Moscow.

— chicagotribune.com, "Britain has no clue why it's punishing Russia," 28 Mar. 2018
Buy Photo Philadelphia’s proposal to improve bike safety on Spruce and Pine Streets in Center City got a public hearing this week, and took flak from people who argued it did too much or not enough.

— jason laughlin, Philly.com, "Bike lane change to improve safety in Philly, but many want more … or less," 5 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flak.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of flak

German, from Fliegerabwehrkanonen, from Flieger flyer + Abwehr defense + Kanonen cannons

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1938

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

FLAK Defined for English Language Learners

flak

noun

Definition of flak for English Language Learners

: exploding shells that are shot at enemy aircraft from guns on the ground
: harsh criticism

Learn More about flak

See words that rhyme with flak Spanish Central: Translation of flak Nglish: Translation of flak for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of flak for Arabic speakers

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Definition of flak

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