as in adjacent
having a border in common
flanking farms that share the same water source
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in envelopment
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in adjoining
to be adjacent to
the guards flank the center on a football team's offensive line
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flanking
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
So at this time our forecast still holds but, as mentioned, with a low level of confidence for a grazing or flanking edge effect from the CME passages.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026
The massive stage comprised three ramps extending the length of a football field that were frequently alight in a Candyland of colors and two oversized video screens flanking a metallic structure that looked like an inverted ski jump.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 16 May 2026
The layers of screens here — from every attending seemingly experiencing the concert through the back-facing camera on their phone to the LED projections flanking Eilish at all times — can be as headache-inducing as the reality of any concert.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
The ocean sky backdrop flanking the main parking lot that can be flooded for a water set.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
Attempting to dribble the ball against a backcourt of Williams and Veronica Burton seems unpleasant, at best, and Golden State has a parade of switchable wings flanking the pair.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Because many houses have prominent garage doors on the front facade, the lights flanking them need to be large enough to balance them.
—Amy Panos, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2026
Closest to Jupiter will be Io, while flanking the big planet at greater distances are Callisto (on the same side as Io) and Ganymede.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Bieber had stepped onto a smaller stage, more sharply circular than the first, and two acoustic guitarists came to sit on either side of him, flanking him like twin cherubs attentive at their harps.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
Noun
But Earth appears to have been struck by a far flanking edge of the storm, meaning most of the magnetic cloud likely missed our planet, according to an update from the center.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
So at this time our forecast still holds but, as mentioned, with a low level of confidence for a grazing or flanking edge effect from the CME passages.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Out back, a small sewage-treatment plant converts bodily waste from two flanking portable toilets into purified water, which is piped into a large tank in which yet another unclothed woman, wearing a scuba mouthpiece, floats for four hours at a time.
—Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026
The massive stage comprised three ramps extending the length of a football field that were frequently alight in a Candyland of colors and two oversized video screens flanking a metallic structure that looked like an inverted ski jump.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 16 May 2026
The layers of screens here — from every attending seemingly experiencing the concert through the back-facing camera on their phone to the LED projections flanking Eilish at all times — can be as headache-inducing as the reality of any concert.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
The ocean sky backdrop flanking the main parking lot that can be flooded for a water set.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
Attempting to dribble the ball against a backcourt of Williams and Veronica Burton seems unpleasant, at best, and Golden State has a parade of switchable wings flanking the pair.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Because many houses have prominent garage doors on the front facade, the lights flanking them need to be large enough to balance them.
—Amy Panos, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2026
Closest to Jupiter will be Io, while flanking the big planet at greater distances are Callisto (on the same side as Io) and Ganymede.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Bieber had stepped onto a smaller stage, more sharply circular than the first, and two acoustic guitarists came to sit on either side of him, flanking him like twin cherubs attentive at their harps.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flanking
Adjective
-
Following the victory, as has become customary the past two years, the Raiders held their graduation ceremony for their 15 seniors on a practice field adjacent to the stadium.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
17 May 2026
-
Others, like Eric and Lisa Keiser, from Waterford, Pennsylvania, listened from outside the adjacent National Museum of Natural History, where the speeches and music still carried through the crowd as people milled around the Mall enjoying the day’s festivities.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Recent acoustical changes to the ever-challenging Houston hall have even yielded more sonic presence, warmth and envelopment.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Henson moved to metro Atlanta as a toddler and grew up in Paulding County, with strong ties to adjoining Douglas County.—
Nancy Badertscher,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
-
In addition to adjoining Oak Forest, the property is also close to Midlothian, Markham, Tinley Park and Country Club Hills.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The location is ideal for exploring both Lambertville and neighboring New Hope on foot.—
Hannah Howard,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2026
-
The name for Pelago Café, the cousins say, was inspired by the neighboring Italian towns of S’antanna Pelago and Pieve Pelago, where their fathers were born and raised.—
Gina Grillo,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Hope centers around an alien invasion from the planet Gh’ertu crash-landing in rural South Korean town, Hope Harbor.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
-
His government has been repeatedly sanctioned by the West for its crackdown on human rights and for allowing Moscow to use its territory for the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
However, Royce Young, a former ESPN reporter who is now a member of the Thunder’s front office, said Charania — who was a senior NBA writer for The Athletic before joining ESPN in 2024 — was simply doing his job.—
Mike Prada,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
But soon the 50-year-old character actor will be joining the DCU and plotting to conquer and collect the world as Brainiac, the villain of James Gunn’s Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Such knowledge is desperately needed along Russia’s border with NATO where there has been a spate of drone incursions in recent months, including from Ukrainian drones sent off course by Russian jamming.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
-
Ahead of the series, Embiid urged Philly fans not to sell their tickets, eager to avoid a repeat of the Knicks fans’ 2024 incursion.—
Peter Sblendorio,
Hartford Courant,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The San Diego Police Department asked the public to avoid the area surrounding the Islamic Center of San Diego.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
-
Although no evidence ever emerged proving Fuhrman planted the evidence, controversy surrounding his testimony devastated the prosecution’s case.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flanking. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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