flanks 1 of 2

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

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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
The carbon-fiber Blackbird predominantly references its aeronautical namesake through its exterior styling, most notably the distinctive chine line that runs along the flanks of the car. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 3 Aug. 2026 Bergé—still blustery and energetic at sixty-eight—flanks Saint Laurent protectively as the two leave their hotel for the ceremony, where the designer is set to receive a lifetime-achievement award. Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026 The manager wanted an attacker who could add pace, verticality and an ability to run off both flanks. Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 30 July 2026 Quintero, the complaint said, did a fat transfer to the buttocks, chest, trapezius and biceps for Patient 1 after removing 3,000 cubic centimeters of supernatant fat from the chest, abdomen, flanks, and back. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026 Hamstring tears to Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams in their domestic club seasons removed that quick attacking threat from the flanks and led to a one of the biggest shocks of the tournament, the Cape Verde draw. Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 20 July 2026 Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro have stretched defenses from the flanks, while Lamine Yamal has confused them with his trickery. Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 18 July 2026 Christina Bluhme was high on the flanks of Britain's tallest mountain with her dogs and one of the hounds was a lot higher — and not in a good way. ABC News, 13 July 2026 The rabbits, however, divided their forces and swarmed both flanks of the coach (a move Napoleon surely could have appreciated). Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026
Verb
After a long winter, the vibrant green of new foliage flanks the road and, in parts, creates a canopy in the summer. Stacy Conde, Midwest Living, 9 July 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
  • Deliverables cannot be adjusted, scope cannot be tailored and both sides lose the chance to reach an agreement that works for the campaign.
    Chris Ryan, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • Lawyers for both sides did not respond to requests for comment from The Charlotte Observer, and Wells Fargo declined to comment.
    Chase Jordan July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
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.
    Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026
  • 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.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • But first, on the Roundtable, Variety TV critic Aramide Tinubu joins us to give some of her summer TV picks and hot takes on the Emmy noms.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The 23-year-old’s name joins that of compatriots Ayako Okamoto (1984), Hinako Shibuno (2019) and last year’s champion golfer Miyū Yamashita — who failed to make the cut this weekend — on the silver trophy.
    Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 2 Aug. 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
  • Failure Becoming More Expensive States have begun regulating how AI touches coverage and care decisions, and scrutiny is coming for any system that influences a clinical or financial outcome.
    Fawad Butt, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Also, chief data analyst Steve Kornacki is launching The Data Dive, a subscriber-exclusive newsletter that touches on the most consequential elections of the midterms.
    Yasmin Vossoughian, NBC news, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Eventually a ring of low-lying islands forms, built from the skeletons of the reef that surrounds it.
    NPR, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Scientists have spent years trying to understand how an animal — this animal — can survive for centuries, and a new study has now added another layer to the mystery that surrounds these predators by looking directly at their heart.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Flanks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flanks. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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