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
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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
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Recent Examples of flanks
Josef Joffe, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
In the modern game, where so much emphasis out of possession is on forcing opponents wide and stopping them from playing through the middle of the pitch, space often opens up on the flanks.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
At the wadi’s head lies a small, stubborn village, clinging to the canyon floor beneath the immense flanks of Jebel Shams.
—Anna Zacharias, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
Both Reynoso and Valdez operate within the same progressive flanks of the Democratic Party, and they are aligned on key issues like support for Palestine and strong support for labor rights, although Valdez generally leans further left.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Everest’s Helicopter Rescue Pilots Daring aviators plucked stricken climbers from the flanks of Mount Everest throughout the 2025 season, saving many from certain death.
—The Editors, Outside, 15 Dec. 2025
Kentucky Camp sits amid the grasslands that cloak the eastern flanks of the Santa Rita Mountains northwest of Sonoita.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 12 Dec. 2025
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when Mount Mandara became another major refuge, local communities built additional stone walls on the flanks to slow down the approach of the enemy.
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
The piebald deer seen in Walter Busby's doorbell camera footage, which the homeowner provided to Storyful, is primarily white, with darker spots on its flanks and ears.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
Easy—because le roi wanted to break the encirclement on his eastern and southern flanks.
—Josef Joffe, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
In the modern game, where so much emphasis out of possession is on forcing opponents wide and stopping them from playing through the middle of the pitch, space often opens up on the flanks.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
At the wadi’s head lies a small, stubborn village, clinging to the canyon floor beneath the immense flanks of Jebel Shams.
—Anna Zacharias, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
Both Reynoso and Valdez operate within the same progressive flanks of the Democratic Party, and they are aligned on key issues like support for Palestine and strong support for labor rights, although Valdez generally leans further left.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Everest’s Helicopter Rescue Pilots Daring aviators plucked stricken climbers from the flanks of Mount Everest throughout the 2025 season, saving many from certain death.
—The Editors, Outside, 15 Dec. 2025
Kentucky Camp sits amid the grasslands that cloak the eastern flanks of the Santa Rita Mountains northwest of Sonoita.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 12 Dec. 2025
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when Mount Mandara became another major refuge, local communities built additional stone walls on the flanks to slow down the approach of the enemy.
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
The piebald deer seen in Walter Busby's doorbell camera footage, which the homeowner provided to Storyful, is primarily white, with darker spots on its flanks and ears.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025
Verb
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
-
Fringe trim along the sides adds texture and visual interest to your space, while plush cushions keep you comfortable.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Feb. 2026
-
In these squabbles, lies are told, stories are made up and the mantra that there are two sides to everything is proven false.—
Dave Lieber,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The new building Musk posted about is in nearby Southaven, Mississippi, and adjoins the Colossus 2 facility, the Information reported earlier Tuesday, citing property records and a person familiar with the project.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Here, a marble island anchors the cooking space, which adjoins a more casual dining area and the family room.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
13 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Buehler joins Chris Taylor (Angels) and Austin Barnes (Mets) as former Dodgers hoping to catch on with other teams this spring training.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Bates joins the defense company after most recently serving as chief digital officer at aerospace and defense systems company Collins Aerospace.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
18 Feb. 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
-
And this touches what seems the central tension of the poem, that God doesn’t have to live with and experience the repercussions of their choices and actions; the speaker does.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Any plates, cups, mugs, silverware, or casserole dishes must be cleaned before food touches the surface.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
One of the biggest ethical concerns surrounds reproduction.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Your memory will be a ray of light piercing the darkness that surrounds us right now as authoritarian drums beat loudly and threaten the civil rights of Americans.—
Elyssa Kaufman,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flanks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flanks. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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