outflank

O1U1T1F4L1A1N1K5

verb

To maneuver around and behind the flank of (an opposing force).

RareScrabble 15

Meanings

verboutflank (third-person singular simple present outflanks, present participle outflanking, simple past and past participle outflanked)

present singular third person outflanks · participle present outflanking · participle past outflanked · past outflanked · alternative out-flank

  1. transitiveTo maneuver around and behind the flank of (an opposing force).
  2. transitiveTo gain a tactical advantage over (a competitor, for example).

    Unscrupulous members offered special discounts, illegal rebates, and unauthorized underquotations to outflank their conference partners, and blamed their agents or 'invented' competition to justify these tactics.

    1977, Desmond Christopher Martin Platt, Business Imperialism, 1840-1930, page 148
    1 more example

    Few expect the unrest to stop anytime soon. The government may hope to outflank the protest movement by painting them as unwilling to accept compromise, but even some of Lam’s allies have publicly said that the withdrawal was too little, too late.

    2019 September 4, James Griffith, “Hong Kong government’s attempt to outflank protesters is doomed to fail”, in CNN

Synonyms & antonyms

verbgo around the flank of (an opposing army)

Similar

verbget the better of

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úd
  2. Proto-Germanic*ūt
  3. Proto-Germanic*ūt-
  4. Old Englishūt-
  5. Middle Englishut-
  6. Englishout-
  7. Englishflank
  8. Englishoutflank

From out- + flank.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian обхождам
  • обхождам (obhoždam)to maneuver around and behind
Finnish koukata
  • koukatato maneuver around and behind
French déborder
  • déborderto maneuver around and behind
Swedish överflygla
  • överflyglato maneuver around and behind
Welsh ystlysu, gorasgellu
  • ystlysuto maneuver around and behind
  • gorasgelluto maneuver around and behind

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

outflank. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outflank

MLA

“outflank.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outflank. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “outflank,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outflank.

Source: outflank on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.