white flag

noun

1
: a flag of plain white used as a flag of truce or as a token of surrender
2
: a token of weakness or yielding

Examples of white flag in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Midway through the fourth quarter and trailing by nearly 20, Nakase waved the white flag and emptied the Valkyries’ bench. Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025 The Qatari prime minister sat across from Hamas’ chief negotiator, Khalil Al-Hayya, under the maroon-and-white flag of the Gulf nation on Monday evening. Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025 But on Friday, after losing in straight sets to Alcaraz, having done so to Sinner at the French Open and Wimbledon, Djokovic, the archest of arch-competitors, effectively hoisted the white flag. Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025 Plough isn’t waving a white flag here. Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for white flag

Word History

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of white flag was in 1578

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“White flag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20flag. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

white flag

noun
: a flag of plain white used as a flag of truce or as a sign of surrender

More from Merriam-Webster on white flag

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!