flashed; flashing; flashes
2
: to break forth in or like a sudden flame or flare
3
a
: to appear suddenly
an idea flashes into her mind
b
: to move with great speed
the days flash by
4
a
: to break forth or out so as to make a sudden display
b
: to act or speak vehemently and suddenly especially in anger
5
a
: to give off light suddenly or in transient bursts
b
: to glow or gleam especially with animation or passion
her eyes flashed with anger
6
: to change suddenly or violently into vapor
7
: to expose one's breasts or genitals usually suddenly and briefly in public
8
: to have sudden insight
—often used with on
1
a
archaic
: splash
b
: to fill by a sudden inflow of water
2
a
: to cause the sudden appearance of (light)
b
: to cause to burst violently into flame
c(1)
: to cause (light) to reflect
(2)
: to cause (something) to reflect light
flash a mirror
(3)
: to cause (a lamp) to flash
d
: to convey by means of flashes of light
3
a
: to make known or cause to appear with great speed
flash a message on the screen
b
: to display obtrusively and ostentatiously
always flashing a roll of bills
c
: to expose to view usually suddenly and briefly
flashed a badge
4
: to cover with or form into a thin layer: such as
a
: to protect against rain by covering with sheet metal or a substitute
b
: to coat (glass) with a thin layer (as of metal or a differently colored glass)
5
: to subject (an exposed photographic negative or positive) to a supplementary uniform exposure to light before development in order to modify detail or tone
6
: to expose one's breasts or genitals usually suddenly and briefly to
flashed the audience
1
a
: a sudden burst of light
b
: a movement of a flag in signaling
2
: a sudden and often brilliant burst
a flash of wit
3
: a brief time
4
5
obsolete
: thieves' slang
6
: something flashed: such as
b
: smile
c
: a first brief news report
e
: a quick-spreading flame or momentary intense outburst of radiant heat
f(1)
(2)
: a device for producing a flashlight for taking photographs
7
8
: the rapid conversion of a liquid into vapor
1
2
: of sudden origin and short duration
a flash fire
3
: having or using a solid-state data storage technology that retains data even without a connection to a power source
flash memory
: by very brief exposure to an intense altering agent (such as heat or cold)
flash fry
flash freeze
Did you know?
The origin of the word flash is uncertain, although it rhymes with a number of other verbs that also mean forceful, often violent movement that may come to a quick end: dash, lash, crash, slash, clash, gash, bash, splash, smash. These words turn up in English over a fairly long period of time, from dash— the only word in the group with a likely foreign source—in the 14th century, to smash in the 18th century. The element -ash has thus provided a kind of model for new words. The initial fl – that is added to -ash to make flash is also heard in words meaning quick movement, as flee, fly, flicker, and flutter.
Examples of flash in a Sentence
Verb
Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed.
Cameras flashed as the celebrities passed.
A car was sitting on the side of the road with its lights flashing.
A message flashed on the screen.
The screen flashed a message in black letters.
Her eyes flashed with anger.
Noun
A brilliant flash lit up the sky.
The idea for the movie came to her in a flash of inspiration.
They relied on gimmicks and flash to get people's attention.
a show with a lot of flash but little substance
Adjective
flash floods in the local area
Recent Examples on the Web
Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
However, Walker has flashed great athleticism in space with incredible range and physicality.
—Josh Kendall, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
The attack kept residents on edge for about 11 hours, with many staying awake all night while loud explosions reverberated around the city and flashes of light punctuated the sky.
—Vasilisa Stepanenko and Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
The German figures come a day before the scheduled release of flash inflation data for the euro area, which will be closely watched by investors for guidance on the odds of another interest rate cut from the European Central Bank.
—Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for flash
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Lanes split, signs flash, exits appear too soon or too late.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
However, Walker has flashed great athleticism in space with incredible range and physicality.
—Josh Kendall, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
As severe thunderstorms and rain hit much of the central part of the United States, flash flooding threatened parts of Texas and Oklahoma and areas along the Mississippi River.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
The attack kept residents on edge for about 11 hours, with many staying awake all night while loud explosions reverberated around the city and flashes of light punctuated the sky.
—Vasilisa Stepanenko and Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Don’t let the lack of flash fool you — this guy is the real deal.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
The German figures come a day before the scheduled release of flash inflation data for the euro area, which will be closely watched by investors for guidance on the odds of another interest rate cut from the European Central Bank.
—Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for flash
Cite this Entry
“Flash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flash. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flash
1 of 3 verb1
: to shine in or like a sudden flame
lightning flashed
her eyes flashed with excitement
2
: to send out in or as if in flashes
flash a message
3
: to appear or pass very suddenly
a car flashed by
4
: to gleam or glow in sudden bursts
5
: to expose to view usually briefly
flash a badge
flash
2 of 3 noun1
a
: a sudden burst of light, flame, or heat
b
: a movement of a flag or light in signaling
2
: a sudden and brilliant burst
a flash of wit
3
: a brief time
4
: one that attracts notice
especially
: an outstanding athlete
5
: a device for producing a brief and very bright flash of light for taking photographs
flash
3 of 3 adjective1
: beginning suddenly and lasting only a short time
a flash fire
2
: having or using a solid-state data storage technology that retains data even without a connection to a power source
Etymology
Verb
Middle English flaschen
Word Origin
The origin of the word flash is uncertain, though it rhymes with a number of other verbs that also mean forceful, often violent movement that may come to a quick end: dash, lash, crash, slash, clash, gash, bash, splash, smash. These words turn up in English over a fairly long period of time, from dash—the only word in the group with a likely foreign source—in the 14th century to smash in the 18th century. The element -ash has thus provided a kind of model for new words. The initial fl- that is added to -ash to make flash is also heard in words meaning quick movement, as flee, fly, flicker, and flutter.
Medical Definition
flash
noun
: rush sense 2 compare hot flash
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