flank

noun

\ ˈflaŋk

Definition of flank

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the fleshy part of the side between the ribs and the hip broadly : the side of a quadruped She gently patted the horse's flank.

b : a cut of meat from this part of an animal — see beef illustration

2a : side the eastern flank of a volcano

b : the right or left of a formation attacked the enemy on both flanks

3 : the area along either side of a heraldic shield

flank

verb

flanked; flanking; flanks

Definition of flank (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to be situated at the side of especially : to be situated on both sides of a road flanked with linden trees

b : to place something on each side of

2 : to protect a flank of

3 : to attack or threaten the flank of (as a body of troops)

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about flank

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Examples of flank in a Sentence

Noun

She gently patted the horse's flank. They attacked the enemy on both flanks. the eastern flank of a volcano

Verb

the guards flank the center on a football team's offensive line

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Time and again, City's pace on the flanks caused West Ham problems and, in particular, Kyle Walker getting behind Aaron Cresswell. — SI.com, "Mark Noble: Why the West Ham Captain Is Still Key to Hammers Success," 11 Sep. 2019 Determined to avoid such a tragedy, Dr. Moran and his colleagues proposed installing new instruments on the flanks of Mount Hood in 2014. — Shannon Hall, New York Times, "We’re Barely Listening to the U.S.’s Most Dangerous Volcanoes," 9 Sep. 2019 Martinez attacked from the midfield then passed the ball ahead to Elis on the flank. — Houston Chronicle, "Dynamo end three-game skid with home win over Red Bulls," 4 July 2019 The Seattle Sounders star bundled home the USA’s only goal with his chest, and was active all evening on the left flank, stretching the Uruguayans and providing a valuable and threatening outlet. — Brian Straus, SI.com, "For USMNT, Two Very Different Friendlies With One Set of Prevalent Themes," 11 Sep. 2019 But with the tighter areas on the flanks, wingers such as Cristian Penilla and Diego Fagundez, and even midfield playmaker Carles Gil, will need to be better on the ball in smaller spaces. — Dan Shulman, BostonGlobe.com, "Revolution’s keys to victory against NYCFC," 6 Sep. 2019 Otherwise, the rolling hillsides have served as a stark but scenic backdrop along Concord’s eastern flank, part of the topographical ascent to Mount Diablo, the Bay Area’s highest peak. — John King, SFChronicle.com, "Concord weapons station has fraught history, but development concept has promise," 3 Sep. 2019 As the video begins, Armstrong could see the aim point was on the rocky northeastern flank of West crater (190 meters [623 feet] diameter), causing him to take manual control and fly horizontally, searching for a safe landing spot. — Fox News, "Apollo 11: What Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin saw during dramatic Moon landing," 19 July 2019 This attitude will put her in conflict with some member states, in particular in Europe’s eastern and southern flanks, which see Brussels as an intrusive foreign power challenging their sovereignty. — New York Times, "First Woman Chosen for Top E.U. Job Wins Confirmation," 16 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Once their time is expended, the relevant app icons darken on the home screen, the sad hourglass flanking the app name. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, "I Tried to Limit My Screen Time," 5 Sep. 2019 The same building hosts stalls for the state’s Republican and Democratic parties, which flank opposite sides of the entrance. — Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, "A Pageantry of Anti-Trumpism at the Iowa State Fair," 14 Aug. 2019 Check out those giant flocks of feathers flanking both of her arms. — refinery29.com, "Selena Gomez's Sun Hat Is The Perfect Summer Accessory," 25 July 2019 Kentucky’s John Calipari saw Christopher twice, flanked by two assistants each time. — Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan's Juwan Howard has attention of top prospects. Here's his challenge," 14 July 2019 The Depot at Nickel Plate and The Flats at Switch, two luxury apartment buildings constructed in 2014, flank the Municipal Complex on 116th. — John Tuohy, Indianapolis Star, "Fishers is planning for another big development downtown," 19 June 2019 This spring, state records show, Harbor of Hope spent at least $10,000 to hire two experienced lobbyists, who flanked Williams during testimony at a recent House committee hearing. — oregonlive.com, "Lawmakers back rental tax break in last day of Legislature. Why are they behind a Portland developer’s idea?," 15 June 2019 Created with Francisca Coelho, former NYBG vice president of glasshouses and exhibitions, the garden contains two concrete-block fountains flanking a rainforest’s worth of plants, including many collected by and named for Burle Marx. — Alexandra Lange, Curbed, "The exuberant career of the Brazilian designer Roberto Burle Marx brings the oft-overlooked field of landscape architecture to the foreground," 11 June 2019 But to get to a general election face-off with Trump, Biden will have to overcome the two progressive senators, Warren and Sanders, who flanked him on the stage. — BostonGlobe.com, "And Biden, 76, even gained some sympathy after a roundly criticized attack by Julián Castro that questioned the former vice president’s memory.," 14 Sep. 2019

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