variants
or less commonly flack
plural flak also flack
1
: antiaircraft guns
2
: the bursting shells fired from flak
3
: criticism, opposition
She has taken a good deal of flak for espousing that view.—
E. J. Kahn, Jr.
E. J. Kahn, Jr.When I was a restaurant bar manager I sometimes found myself taking flak from my customers for our high prices …—Rob Hill
Rob HillExamples of flak in a Sentence
He caught heavy flak for his decision to oppose the new school.
He took a lot of flak from the other kids for his unusual appearance.
Recent Examples on the Web
More: Book ban at military service academies draws flak from Congress
More than 30% of the military’s more than 1 million active-duty troops identifies with a minority group.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
More recently, the governor drew flak over his openness to an expansion of natural gas pipelines as a way of easing Connecticut’s high energy costs.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 2025
Travolta’s use of the plane for his 50th birthday party in 2004 briefly drew flak from federal regulators for possible improper use of the aircraft as a charter.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2025
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors
Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter win for Best Country Album and Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammy Awards has drawn flak – but some celebrities are speaking out in her defense.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flak
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.
Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
More recently, the governor drew flak over his openness to an expansion of natural gas pipelines as a way of easing Connecticut’s high energy costs.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 2025
Travolta’s use of the plane for his 50th birthday party in 2004 briefly drew flak from federal regulators for possible improper use of the aircraft as a charter.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2025
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors
Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter win for Best Country Album and Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammy Awards has drawn flak – but some celebrities are speaking out in her defense.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flak
Cite this Entry
“Flak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flak. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share