variants
or less commonly flakey
flakier; flakiest
flakier; flakiest
1
2
informal
: not reliable in performance or behavior : undependable
a flaky mechanism
You'll want to make sure that all the technology tools you need to effectively and efficiently serve clients are in full working order and that you won't need to worry about wasting time and money fixing broken hardware or flaky software.—
Henry B. Chace
Henry B. Chace… digital crutches trump face-to-face talking (even phone calls), encouraging people to be flaky and evasive …—Charlotte Liberman
Charlotte LibermanExamples of flaky in a Sentence
Adjective (1)
a tender but flaky crust on the pastry
Recent Examples on the Web
Anya Von Bremzen, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026
This pie's tart lemon custard is surrounded by flaky, buttery pie crust, and topped with mounds of fluffy, golden-brown meringue.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2026
Amidst the blur of newborn snuggles, middle-of-the-night feedings, plus the physical and emotional recovery, one of the most surprising changes many new mothers notice is their skin suddenly transforms from hydrated and smooth to dry, tight, itchy, and flaky.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 28 May 2026
Tests can be flaky because of timing issues, non-deterministic UI behavior and race conditions, or brittle due to selectors being tied to CSS classes or DOM elements that constantly change.
—Ethan Pronev, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for flaky
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Adjective
Mornings brought a generous buffet of regional cheeses, handmade sour-cherry and quince jams, and flaky börek pastries.
—Anya Von Bremzen, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026
This pie's tart lemon custard is surrounded by flaky, buttery pie crust, and topped with mounds of fluffy, golden-brown meringue.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2026
Amidst the blur of newborn snuggles, middle-of-the-night feedings, plus the physical and emotional recovery, one of the most surprising changes many new mothers notice is their skin suddenly transforms from hydrated and smooth to dry, tight, itchy, and flaky.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 28 May 2026
Tests can be flaky because of timing issues, non-deterministic UI behavior and race conditions, or brittle due to selectors being tied to CSS classes or DOM elements that constantly change.
—Ethan Pronev, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for flaky
Cite this Entry
“Flaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flaky. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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