FLANKS Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

flanks 1 of 2

noun

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

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

Noun

Ahead, black dots move in formation like ants as Everest’s imposing upper flanks loom above them. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026 The gates blocking it, and the security checkpoints along its flanks, will dramatically limit the public’s desire to enter, and change the tenor and experience of a space that should feel porous and inclusive. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Brighton frequently found joy down the flanks, with the goal coming from a switch of play to Kostoulas that Mazraoui failed to track. — Chris McKenna, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 Engine 39’s three-person crew includes a paramedic and can also staff a wildland fire engine, giving the department additional capacity to respond to wildfires near open and undeveloped land along the city’s eastern and southern flanks, Lawlor said. — Haley Parsley, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2026 The lights on the flanks had slightly different temperature profiles. — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026 In other areas, such as on the southern and eastern flanks near Arroyo Seco, firefighters were still working to improve containment lines with masticators and other equipment. — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2026 Hit the Allies by surprise, in the weak spots—the flanks, the rear. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 Adeyemi, a versatile forward costing €22 million, offers depth on both flanks. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Verb

These add to artistic and private-label perfumery brands, such as LabSolue, the artisanal brand Martone’s daughter Ambra — who also flanks him in leading ICR — created with her late sister, Giorgia. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026 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

Oil is big over there, and the two sides are targeting fuel operations, trying to destroy the war-making ability of the other.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Still, after months of often contentious dialogue with government officials, local producers are grateful that both sides have found a way through the impasse.

— Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of sides

Verb

Nearby, a dining area topped with a Noguchi light fixture adjoins a sleek matte black and brass-accented kitchen, which has an expansive island that seats five, integrated appliances, and a walk-in pantry.

— Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 20 Aug. 2026
Grab Afternoon Tea Stop into Heritage Bakery & Cafe, a cozy spot that adjoins Harrisonburg’s welcome center, to delight in whimsical refreshments served on delicate china.

— Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of adjoins

Verb

The butler’s pantry joins the kitchen and formal dining room and features a Sub-Zero wine refrigerator and built-ins.

— James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Tonight marks the Academy Museum’s sixth annual gala in Los Angeles, where Bieber joins other A-listers—including honorees Colman Domingo and Charlize Theron and special performer Taylor Swift—to celebrate cinema.

— Audrey Noble, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of joins

Verb

The film’s multigenerational story touches on the cultural inheritance passed between mothers, daughters and grandmothers — whether through old traditions or ordinary rituals.

— Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Saxberger is wary, but Meyers’s admiration touches something, and soon the older man’s convinced to join a nightly meeting of young aesthetes.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of touches

Verb

Visceral fat — which lies deep within the abdomen and surrounds internal organs — has also been linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, Cleveland Clinic states.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Their most vulnerable conversation surrounds his recent MS diagnosis.

— Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of surrounds

Browse Nearby Words

flanking

flanks

flannel

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Flanks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flanks. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of flanks

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'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'?

Popular in Wordplay

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?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes