flanks 1 of 2

Definition of flanksnext
plural of flank
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

flanks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of flank

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
Noun
Jake O’Brien is a recent example of that and, going further back, Leon Osman and Mikel Arteta both began on the flanks before moving infield. Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026 Whittaker scaled Mount Rainier more than 100 times but did not take its familiar flanks for granted. Gene Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026 The man was treated for numerous stab wounds to his left and right flanks, according to Boisvert. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026 Up front, this team has serious depth, with Igor Chernyshov and Will Smith rapidly morphing into elite flanks for Celebrini. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026 Any deal almost certainly needs to involve a compromise as lawmakers on the left and right flanks revolt. ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026 Climbing season on Mount Shasta typically starts in May, after snowpack on the lower flanks has melted. Frederick Dreier, Outside, 10 Mar. 2026 On its website, a Miami-area med spa offers patients lipodissolver injected into their chin, abdomen, thighs, upper arms, and flanks — a procedure the promotional offer says takes only 20 to 30 minutes. Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026 Or removing the implants altogether, sometimes adding a breast lift and some fat grafting from the stomach, thighs, or flanks to create a subtly natural shape. Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 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
  • Harbaugh, no surprise, leaned into that on both sides of the ball in the first round.
    Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Scandals and secrets will be revealed, facades will crumble, and families and friendships will change forever on both sides of the battlefield as this group of strong, game-changing influencers comes together to build their answer to #MomTok.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In the bathroom that adjoins the home gym, a soft-pink marble steals the show.
    Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The dining room adjoins the kitchen in classic Victorian style, creating a fluid, convivial space.
    Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • According to Dillon Amaya, a research scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a climate cycle that is a precursor to El Niño now joins the distinct California marine heat wave with a far bigger area of unusually hot ocean waters that extends all the way to Indonesia.
    Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Hayley Williams, the frontwoman from the aforementioned Paramore, joins Andrews for the emotional acoustic break-up song that builds to a dramatic finish.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The French brand spent two years scouting its Shanghai home, which currently neighbors a Louis Vuitton pop-up.
    Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
  • The video also touches on the online betting markets for youth sports.
    Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
  • That touches on consumer protection.
    Jack Fink, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • REEs are used in the infrastructure that surrounds batteries, the magnets found in EV motors and wind turbines, and other clean energy technologies.
    Big Think, Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
  • And there is everything else that surrounds Baldwin, Shuter was told.
    Martha Ross, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flanks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flanks. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on flanks

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster