outflank

American

[out-flangk] / ˌaʊtˈflæŋk /

verb (used with object)

to go or extend beyond the flank of (an opposing military unit); turn the flank of.
to outmaneuver or bypass.

outflank British

/ ˌaʊtˈflæŋk /

verb

to go around the flank of (an opposing army)
to get the better of

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

outflanker noun

Etymology

Origin of outflank

First recorded in 1755–65; out- + flank

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Who outflanked who? In my view, there’s only one win, and that’s an agreement.”

From Washington Post

It isn't just Fuentes and the groypers who are trying to outflank Turning Point USA on the right.

From Salon

In the final stretch, the polls showed Mr. de Blasio gaining on Ms. Quinn, outflanking Mr. Thompson and ultimately winning the race.

From New York Times

But the 2020 election changed all that, several analysts said, as the Republican Party in the state shifted further right and moderate legislators feared being outflanked by hard-core conservatives.

From New York Times

I asked Mr Milliband whether the Labour Party had been outflanked on green investment and state intervention?

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023