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 Kurt Busch certainly wanted to flaunt his trophy after beating his brother in a door-to-door overtime battle. — Gary B Graves, orlandosentinel.com, "Kurt Busch outduels little brother Kyle to win at Kentucky," 14 July 2019 Of all players joining the Louisville locker room, McKay had the most to flaunt. — Ryan Kolakowski, The Courier-Journal, "Former Louisville star Brendan McKay keeps his cool with the Tampa Bay Rays," 1 July 2019 To flaunt your pro-plant spirit, check out BeetxBeet’s extensive collection of edgy vegan apparel. — Sunset, "Vegan Apparel Companies You’ll Want to Add to Your Wardrobe," 22 Jan. 2018 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

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.