flags 1 of 3

noun

plural of flag
1
as in banners
a piece of cloth with a special design that is used as an emblem or for signaling the flags of both countries were prominently displayed at the treaty signing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in signals
an object intended to give public notice or warning road crews using handheld stop signs as flags at both ends of the highway construction zone

Synonyms & Similar Words

flags

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of flag
1
as in droops
to be limp from lack of water or vigor flowers flagging in the summer heat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fades
to lose bodily strength or vigor we flagged as we neared the end of the long mountain trail

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

flags

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of flag
as in waves
to direct or notify by a movement or gesture flagged the cars into the other parking lot

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 flags
Noun
The authors also flagged 15 of the 91 markups as possibly AI-assisted despite the ban, and the flags turned up about as often among control lawyers. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026 Parker separately ordered city flags to remain at half-staff until sunset on the day of Seiber's interment. — James Cirrone , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 At the blockades, Palestinian flags have been as common as tricolores. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026 Selfie sticks dangle off every bridge, and tour groups shuffle behind guides waving flags. — Mary Holland, Robb Report, 8 Oct. 2026 Videos on social media showed traffic at a standstill on a highway leading out of Gulf Shores, where double-red beach flags signaled water access was closed. — R.j. Rico, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 The vigil was disrupted by protesters who waved Palestinian flags and chanted. — Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 For the season, Livingston has rushed for 331 yards and four touchdowns, caught 26 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns, completed 3 of 3 passes for 15 yards, pulled a team-leading 26 flags, made nine sacks and intercepted a pass. — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Big Bahraini flags are visible from above the venue, doubling up as fan zone awnings. — Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
The report also flags Cuban medical missions in other nations in the Americas, including the Bahamas and Saint Lucia. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 Among the common symptoms of menopause, Dove flags several overlapping triggers. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026 Lewbel says that, by the end of 2026, the company's law enforcement customers will be required to use case codes for searches, with exceptions for emergencies, and a tool that flags unusual searches for agency administrators. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026 When the model produces a number that should’ve come from a formula, nothing flags it. — Mateusz Mucha, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 The rundown by Coveteur of fall 2026 outerwear trends also flags military jackets, shrunken lapels, capes and silk jackets as looks worth watching. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2026 For instance, CADDi Design Review flags potential errors in new drawings and CAD models based on past problems with similar parts. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026 According to Lucky Lincoln Gaming, when a terminal goes offline at a location in Peoria, the system flags it before anyone picks up the phone. — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flags
  1. banners
  2. signals
  3. droops
  4. fades
  5. waves
  6. colors
  7. hangs
  8. weakens
Noun
  • The defensive coordinator suddenly is the subject of frat banners calling for his firing.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Castle Town bustled more than ever, teeming with banners, flowers and colorful citizenry.
    — James Perkins Mastromarino, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of banners
Noun
  • With early signals that are ambiguous and without a clear shock, mobilization lags.
    — Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
  • That shows that the demand is there, and then the demand signals trickle down.
    — SJ Studio, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of signals
Verb
  • The single strand of hair that droops down on his forehead, almost reminiscent of Christopher Reeve’s Superman.
    — Timothy Bella, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Too thick of a mascara coat, and suddenly my gaze droops.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2026
Definition of droops
Verb
  • The film is set in Lucknow as the age of the nawabs (Muslim nobles) fades.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Speed without a foundation collapses, and attention in a crowded market fades fast, but trust endures; and trust is exactly what this channel builds.
    — Joel Goldstein, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of fades
Verb
  • Picture a doorman who checks your ID with great care, then waves you into any apartment in the building.
    — Julian Durand, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The Spa At the beach-level spa, the windows were left wide open during my 60-minute Salt Air Reset massage, making all-natural birdsong and waves the soundtrack of my treatment.
    — Katie Nanton, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of waves
Noun
  • Even a slight misalignment could leave visible defects where colors meet, while four hotends introduce more components that could potentially fail.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Choose from trios in subtle coordinated colors all packed into a zip pouch for easy transport.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of colors
Verb
  • At a time of high infant mortality and short lifespans, the specter of early death hangs over them as friends and family members die with great and sudden frequency.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In the bedroom, a photograph by Wolfgang Tillmans hangs opposite a Roman torso of Dionysus.
    — Leonie Rolinck, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of hangs
Verb
  • If one connection weakens, Halo can use other available links to preserve connectivity.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Precipitation is expected to gradually taper off Thursday afternoon as the storm system moves east and weakens.
    — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakens

Browse Nearby Words

flagrantly
flags
flagship
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flags. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fervid

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All