less common spelling of flak
E. J. Kahn, Jr.Rob HillMichael Roizen and Mehmet OzCasey Seiler
Did you know?
The verb flack comes from a noun flack: during the late 1930s, flack came to be used as a name for a press agent. According to one rumor, the word was coined in tribute to a well-known movie publicist of the time, Gene Flack. Another rumor holds that it derives from a similar-sounding Yiddish word for someone who talks about someone else's affairs. The editors of Merriam-Webster dictionaries remain skeptical about these claims and have listed the etymology of flack as "unknown." You may also be familiar with another flack—a noun meaning "criticism" or "opposition." This unrelated homograph stems from a misspelling of flak, a German acronym and English word for antiaircraft guns.
Examples of flack in a Sentence
Judy Berman, TIME, 7 June 2024
The Celtics have taken flack for how easy their postseason run has been with stars in the Eastern Conference falling like dominoes.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 May 2024
Idaho gets its fair share of flack regarding discrimination issues across the state.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 8 May 2024
Charlotte took a lot of flack for the trade sending Jalen Duren to Detroit for Williams, and Duren has put together a couple of nice seasons for the Pistons.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 3 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for flack 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flack
Cite this Entry
“Flack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flack. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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