as in sides
a place, space, or direction away from or beyond a central point or line
painted the name of the ship along its flank
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in adjoins
to be adjacent to
the guards flank the center on a football team's offensive line
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of flanks
James Pearce,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
The pathologist documented extensive bruising and hemorrhage involving Joanna’s abdomen, flanks, back, buttocks, thighs and lower extremities, according to the affidavit.
—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 June 2026
His quick snap shot from the bumper became a specialty and made the B’s power play a monster, especially when Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak were on his flanks.
—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
23 June 2026
And to the south, Mount Hood towers, an active stratovolcano with hiking, biking, and skiing on its flanks.
—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
20 June 2026
In recent decades, the traditional American story has come under sustained attack from both flanks.
—
Yoni Appelbaum,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
The deposits that blanketed the volcanoes’ steep flanks were critical clues, Preine said.
—
Quanta Magazine,
26 May 2026
Julia Sayers Gokhale,
Midwest Living,
17 Apr. 2026
This short out-and-back route is the perfect recovery run, with relatively flat terrain that flanks the river.
—
Kristine Thomason,
Outside,
9 Mar. 2026
But Hawley flanks the familiar creature from the movies with a variety of new monsters that get unleashed in the Maginot crash.
—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
As things stand, if the Diomande deal gets done, it’s set to be the Ivory Coast international, Munoz, Ngumoha and Gakpo providing the creativity from the flanks in the coming campaign.
—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
The pathologist documented extensive bruising and hemorrhage involving Joanna’s abdomen, flanks, back, buttocks, thighs and lower extremities, according to the affidavit.
—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 June 2026
His quick snap shot from the bumper became a specialty and made the B’s power play a monster, especially when Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak were on his flanks.
—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
23 June 2026
And to the south, Mount Hood towers, an active stratovolcano with hiking, biking, and skiing on its flanks.
—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
20 June 2026
In recent decades, the traditional American story has come under sustained attack from both flanks.
—
Yoni Appelbaum,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
The deposits that blanketed the volcanoes’ steep flanks were critical clues, Preine said.
—
Quanta Magazine,
26 May 2026
Verb
The park flanks a tiny stretch of Table Rock Lake, a serpentine reservoir with more than 745 miles of shoreline.
—
Julia Sayers Gokhale,
Midwest Living,
17 Apr. 2026
This short out-and-back route is the perfect recovery run, with relatively flat terrain that flanks the river.
—
Kristine Thomason,
Outside,
9 Mar. 2026
But Hawley flanks the familiar creature from the movies with a variety of new monsters that get unleashed in the Maginot crash.
—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flanks
Noun
-
Kessler and the Jazz had been in contract talks, and the two sides met in person in early June, but those discussions didn’t go very far toward a resolution.
-
The bagel shop, which offers an array of sandwiches, sides and sweets, will fill the former Java’s Brewing Bakery and Café space at 1526 Providence Road S.
Verb
-
Flossmoor’s South Commuter Lot, which adjoins the village’s Metra station just steps from downtown, may be reimagined as a public park and community gathering space with the help of an Illinois Department of Natural Resources grant.
-
An elevated dining area adjoins a marble and wood kitchen, which features custom rift-oak cabinetry, top-tier stainless-steel appliances, and an oversized island with an integrated breakfast bar.
Verb
-
Rebecca Lowe joins Dan Patrick to discuss some of the top storylines around the World Cup, including Cristiano Ronaldo's poor play to start, the United States' potential and more.
-
When Krem takes off in Kara’s spacecraft, a rusted hulk that’s like an interplanetary RV, and shoots her beloved dog Krypto with a lethal tranquilizer that will result in agonizing death in three days, Kara joins Ruthye on her revenge quest.
Verb
-
The French brand spent two years scouting its Shanghai home, which currently neighbors a Louis Vuitton pop-up.
Verb
-
The lawsuit touches on a growing conversation over how companies are using technology, including AI, to push prices higher.
-
This creates a living blueprint of where sensitive information lives and who touches it.
Verb
-
Whether a black hole appears dark or dazzling depends largely on how much gas and dust surrounds it, not on the black hole itself.
-
Courts are not operating in the same zone of scientific uncertainty that surrounds many glyphosate, talc, or social media claims.
Cite this Entry
“Flanks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flanks. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
