outflank
verb
out·flank
ˌau̇t-ˈflaŋk 
outflanked; outflanking; outflanks
1
: to get around the flank of (an opposing force)
2
: get around, circumvent
trying to outflank the competition
Examples of outflank in a Sentence
The army outflanked the enemy.
trying to outflank the competition
Recent Examples on the Web
Jenrick covets Badenoch’s job—and his plan to win it relies on outflanking her on crime and immigration.
—
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
The bigger risk is being outflanked.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
After outflanking the gunmen sent to kill them at the diner, Mike, Ian, and Kyle beat and torture one in order to ascertain Callahan's whereabouts.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Dec. 2025
As of today, the network’s steps have largely seemed like minor extensions of its TV product, rather than the big swings needed to outflank its new rivals in digital, who command similar reach but can act nimbly — and don’t need to run a 24-hour cable broadcast on the side.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outflank
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
The bigger risk is being outflanked.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
After outflanking the gunmen sent to kill them at the diner, Mike, Ian, and Kyle beat and torture one in order to ascertain Callahan's whereabouts.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Dec. 2025
As of today, the network’s steps have largely seemed like minor extensions of its TV product, rather than the big swings needed to outflank its new rivals in digital, who command similar reach but can act nimbly — and don’t need to run a 24-hour cable broadcast on the side.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outflank
Cite this Entry
“Outflank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outflank. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
outflank
verb
out·flank
(ˈ)au̇t-ˈflaŋk
: to get around the side of (a military formation)
outflank the enemy
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share