flaked; flaking
1
: to separate into flakes
also
: to peel in flakes
2
or flake out informal
: to fail or neglect to do or participate in something previously scheduled, agreed upon, or assigned
He'd disappear, then text, disappear, and then text again. So it's not particularly surprising that when we finally made plans to meet he flaked without a word.—
Kerensa Cadenas
Kerensa CadenasMy brother isn't the type to flake out without warning.—D. Morgan Ballmer
—often used with onD. Morgan BallmerFlake on your friends too often and pretty soon your only friends will be Dharma and Greg.—Colleen Rush
Colleen RushLet's get him to sign his name to that before he flakes out on you!—Rhoda Janzen
Rhoda Janzen
: a stage, platform, or tray for drying fish or produce
Examples of flake in a Sentence
Noun (1)
sprinkle the cake with coconut flakes
Verb
Bake the fish until it flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Noun (3)
the lady with all those cats is sweet, but kind of a flake
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura Solla, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
The brick crumbled and left behind red flakes on her palm.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
There was no needle loss, but there was a lot of flocking that flaked off during the set up—but nothing my robo-vac couldn’t handle!
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flake
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Noun
Mix in oat flakes and baking powder.
—Laura Solla, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
The brick crumbled and left behind red flakes on her palm.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
Redditors report that finishes often flake off, scratch easily, or discolor with regular cleaning.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
There was no needle loss, but there was a lot of flocking that flaked off during the set up—but nothing my robo-vac couldn’t handle!
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flake
Cite this Entry
“Flake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flake. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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