flank

American  

[flangk] / flæŋk /

noun

• flanks
  plural

1. the side of an animal or a person between the ribs and hip.

2. the thin piece of flesh constituting this part.

3. a slice of meat from the flank of an animal.

4. the side of anything, as of a building.

5. Military, Navy. the extreme right or left side of an army or fleet, or a subdivision of an army or fleet.

6. Fortification.

   1. the right or left side of a work or fortification.

   2. the part of a bastion that extends from the curtain to the face and protects the curtain and the opposite face.

7. Machinery. (on a screw thread or the like) either of the two vertical inclined surfaces between the crest and the root.

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verb (used with object)

• flanks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• flanked,
  past participle,  past
• flanking
  present participle

1. to stand or be placed or posted at the flank or side of.

   Synonyms:

   border, skirt, edge, line

2. to defend or guard at the flank.

3. Military. to menace or attack the flank of.

4. to pass around or turn the flank of.

verb (used without object)

• flanks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• flanked,
  past participle,  past
• flanking
  present participle

1. to occupy a position at the flank or side.

2. to present the flank or side.

flank British  

/ flæŋk /

noun

1. the side of a man or animal between the ribs and the hip

2. (loosely) the outer part of the human thigh

3. a cut of beef from the flank

4. the side of anything, such as a mountain or building

5. the side of a naval or military formation

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verb

1. to be located at the side of (an object, building, etc)

2. military to position or guard on or beside the flank of (a formation, etc)

3. military to move past or go round (a flank)

Usage

What is a basic definition of flank? A flank is space between the lowest rib and hip of an animal or person. To flank something means to stand at the side of something. In the military, a flank is a left or right side of an army or fleet of ships. Flank has several other senses as a noun and a verb. The space on your torso between your lowest rib and your hip is called your flank. Animals like cows and horses also have sides referred to as flanks. If a slice of meat comes from this part of an animal’s body, it is a flank cut or flank steak.

• Used in a sentence: The tree branch poked me in my left flank. 

More generally, a flank is the side of anything.

• Used in a sentence: The ball bounced off the left flank of the house. 

In this sense, flank is used to mean to stand or be located at the side of something. A person or thing that flanks something is called a flanker.

• Used in a sentence: Orange trees flanked both sides of the river.

Flank is used in a military sense to refer to the sides of an army. For example, if an army was lined up in rows of soldiers, the soldiers on either end of the rows would make up the army’s flank. An army’s flank is described with directional terms, such as left or right, or compass directions, that is, north, south, east, or west.

• Used in a sentence: The left flank collapsed under the intense arrow fire. 

Flank is used in a similar sense as a verb to mean to attack or harass an army’s flank.

• Used in a sentence: The Roman soldiers charged out of the woods and managed to flank the Greek army. 

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unflank
  verb (used with object)
• well-flanked
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• flanks
  plural

Participles

• flanking
  present
• flanked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• flank
  simple
• flanks
  simple
• have flanked
  perfect
• has flanked
  perfect
• am flanking
  progressive
• are flanking
  progressive
• is flanking
  progressive
• have been flanking
  perfect progressive
• has been flanking
  perfect progressive

Past

• flanked
  simple
• had flanked
  perfect
• was flanking
  progressive
• were flanking
  progressive
• had been flanking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will flank
  simple
• will have flanked
  perfect
• will be flanking
  progressive
• will have been flanking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of flank

before 1100; Middle English; late Old English flanc < Old French < Frankish; compare Old High German hlanca loin

Explanation

A flank is the side of something, whether of beef or a military formation. Although flank is specifically used to talk about a cut of meat, or the right or left side of a military formation, we also use it in those same senses for other objects or even metaphorically. You might, for example, refer to the more conservative flank of a political party. This word can also be used as a verb. If you see someone walking down the street with bodyguards on either side, she's flanked by guards.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flank flanks flanked flanking

It and other countries along NATO's eastern flank including Romania and Poland have suffered repeated incursions into their airspace.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

This opinion is echoed by the moderate flank of the liberal elite.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

On Raman’s side, some contributors came from the left flank of Los Angeles while others were more establishment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

When starting from a 4-2-3-1, this can be achieved with one of the two starting as a number 10 with the other inverting centrally from the wing, with a full-back pushing up on that flank.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

So we turned and tromped back up the hill toward the pair of flowery round hibiscus bushes that flank the steps to our porch.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

It warned of hot volcanic debris flows down Fuego's slopes, with communities on the western and southern flanks at the greatest risk.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

The results show that broad elevated ridges, called rift flanks, develop along the sides of rift valleys when the rifts are geologically young.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026

Trout, their speckled flanks gleaming in the sun, gulped them down one by one.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

Holding a glass jug, Jorge Velazco Rocha crouches before a contraption of wooden barrels stacked in cascading fashion at his roadside tavern along the scrubby flanks of the Volcán de Colima.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

The flanks of the horse flickered as they were pelted.

From "Milkweed" by Jerry Spinelli

The Connecticut native can picture the opening ceremony in SoFi Stadium, where she will be flanked by her fellow American Paralympians.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Instead of proposing Waddingham as a Bond co-star, she’s the expertly skilled agent flanked by a best friend with an equally formidable intellect – the Moneypenny to her 007.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

Flores, wearing the same outfit with her blonde hair tied back, sat a few feet from him with the couple flanked by their lawyers.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

We had a photo from Jamal's 2016 court appearance in France, which showed him flanked by police and wearing a weightlifter's vest.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

He’s flanked by what seems to be his own security detail.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

Kinjo says that reefs flanking his seaside farm consist entirely of corals he cultivated, with their natural peers "no longer able to keep up with a tremendous increase in stress" in the anthropogenically polluted ocean.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

The two brothers were close, flanking their grandmother on the royal balcony or smiling on the sidelines of a polo match.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

“Monday morning quarterback. Absolutely. I probably could have held off on that,” Nanos said at a news conference, with top FBI agents flanking him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026

Terry Haines, founder of Pangaea Policy, an analysis and forecasting firm, called the Washington-Delhi deal "an answer to those thinking the EU is flanking or gaining speed on the US on trade."

From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026

Six dementors entered this time, flanking a group of four people.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling