flaunt

verb

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\ ˈflȯnt

, ˈflänt \

flaunted; flaunting; flaunts

Definition of flaunt

intransitive verb

1 : to display or obtrude oneself to public notice a great flaunting crowd— Charles Dickens

2 : to wave or flutter showily the flag flaunts in the breeze

transitive verb

1 : to display ostentatiously or impudently : parade flaunting his superiority a chance to flaunt clothes, bodies, and sexuality — New Yorker

2 : to treat contemptuously flaunted the rules— Louis Untermeyer

Other Words from flaunt Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Flaunt vs. Flout: Usage Guide More Example Sentences Learn More about flaunt

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Choose the Right Synonym for flaunt

show, exhibit, display, expose, parade, flaunt mean to present so as to invite notice or attention. show implies no more than enabling another to see or examine. showed her snapshots to the whole group exhibit stresses putting forward prominently or openly. exhibit paintings at a gallery display emphasizes putting in a position where others may see to advantage. display sale items expose suggests bringing forth from concealment and displaying. sought to expose the hypocrisy of the town fathers parade implies an ostentatious or arrogant displaying. parading their piety for all to see flaunt suggests a shameless, boastful, often offensive parading. nouveaux riches flaunting their wealth

Flaunt vs. Flout: Usage Guide

Although the "treat contemptuously" sense of flaunt undoubtedly arose from confusion with flout, the contexts in which it appears cannot be called substandard. meting out punishment to the occasional mavericks who operate rigged games, tolerate rowdyism, or otherwise flaunt the law — Oscar Lewis observed with horror the flaunting of their authority in the suburbs, where men … put up buildings that had no place at all in a Christian commonwealth — Marchette Chute in our profession … very rarely do we publicly chastise a colleague who has flaunted our most basic principles — R. T. Blackburn, AAUP Bull. If you use it, however, you should be aware that many people will consider it a mistake. Use of flout in the sense of "flaunt, parade" is found occasionally. "The proper pronunciation," the blonde said, flouting her refined upbringing, "is pree feeks" — Mike Royko

Examples of flaunt in a Sentence

She liked to flaunt her wealth by wearing furs and jewelry. They openly flaunted the rules.

Recent Examples on the Web Given these explicit missions, Shem’s tone-deaf approach to the narrative effects of privilege-flaunting is unfortunate. — Rachel Pearson, The New Yorker, "“The House of God,” a Book as Sexist as It Was Influential, Gets a Sequel," 25 Dec. 2019 Miley Cyrus and Cody Simpson have been dating for a couple of weeks now and flaunting their fling on social media. — Kayleigh Roberts, Harper's BAZAAR, "Cody Simpson Says His Romance With Miley Cyrus Is Anything But Sudden," 12 Oct. 2019 The biggest connection though may be that Tamar flaunted a black tux on her album cover for Love and War in 2013. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Who Is Penguin on 'The Masked Singer'? We've Cracked the Code," 9 Oct. 2019 Like its speedy predecessor, the GE65 Raider, MSI’s GE66 Raider is less subtle about flaunting its gaming chops. — Melissa Riofrio, PCWorld, "A huge battery, teeny fan blades, and other cool features adorn MSI's GS66 Stealth and GE66 Raider," 10 Jan. 2020 Whatever the reason, Hadid’s choice for flaunting those classic wires feels strangely luxurious. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "Forget AirPods—Bella Hadid Is Bringing Back the Humble Wire Headphone," 16 Dec. 2019 Wang has been known for flaunting his wealth on social media. — NBC News, "Billionaire's son is the latest target of China's social credit system," 13 Nov. 2019 The couple’s sons – Robert Mugabe Jr. and Chatunga Bellarmine – were also known for flaunting their lavish lifestyle on social media. — Fox News, "Robert Mugabe dead: What happens to polarizing former first lady Grace Mugabe?," 7 Sep. 2019 The source also implied that Timberlake wouldn't be stupid enough to flaunt himself in public if anything untoward was going on. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "What's Going on Between Justin Timberlake and His Costar Alisha Wainwright?," 24 Nov. 2019

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