flak

noun

variants or less commonly flack
plural flak also flack
1
: antiaircraft guns
2
: the bursting shells fired from flak
3
: criticism, opposition
She has taken a good deal of flak for espousing that view.E. J. Kahn, Jr.
When I was a restaurant bar manager I sometimes found myself taking flak from my customers for our high prices …Rob Hill

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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The organization took a ton of flak for removing a tribute to Roberto Clemente in right field early last month. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2025 Gobert has received a ton of flak over the years for his offensive output, especially in the playoffs. Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025 Rodón receives lots of flak from the fan base for his inconsistency, but he’s been quite good dating back to last season’s All-Star break. Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 1 May 2025 More: Book ban at military service academies draws flak from Congress More than 30% of the military’s more than 1 million active-duty troops identifies with a minority group. Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flak

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flak was in 1938

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flak. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

flak

noun
variants also flack
ˈflak
plural flak also flack
1
: antiaircraft guns or the bursting shells fired from them
2
: severe criticism
Etymology

derived from the German word for "antiaircraft guns," from the first letters of Flieger "flier" and Abwehr "defense" and Kanonen "cannons"

More from Merriam-Webster on flak

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