flaked; flaking
1
: to separate into flakes
also
: to peel in flakes
2
or flake out informal
: to fail or neglect to do or participate in something previously scheduled, agreed upon, or assigned
He'd disappear, then text, disappear, and then text again. So it's not particularly surprising that when we finally made plans to meet he flaked without a word.—
Kerensa Cadenas
Kerensa CadenasMy brother isn't the type to flake out without warning.—D. Morgan Ballmer
—often used with onD. Morgan BallmerFlake on your friends too often and pretty soon your only friends will be Dharma and Greg.—Colleen Rush
Colleen RushLet's get him to sign his name to that before he flakes out on you!—Rhoda Janzen
Rhoda Janzen
: a stage, platform, or tray for drying fish or produce
Synonyms
Examples of flake in a Sentence
Noun (1)
sprinkle the cake with coconut flakes
Verb
Bake the fish until it flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Noun (3)
the lady with all those cats is sweet, but kind of a flake
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Jan. 2025
Types of Salt and Their Shelf Lives Salt, chemically known as sodium chloride (NaCl), comes in various forms, from fine grains like table salt, to larger, more delicate flakes.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 9 Jan. 2025
Youmna Melhem Chamieh, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Jagannathan told me anecdotally that some well-meaning hosts have given up after one too many occasions of people flaking at the last minute.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flake 
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Noun
The addition of fresh herbs and crushed red pepper flakes gave the topping plenty of flavor, and the buttery wine sauce added the perfect amount of richness.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Jan. 2025
Types of Salt and Their Shelf Lives Salt, chemically known as sodium chloride (NaCl), comes in various forms, from fine grains like table salt, to larger, more delicate flakes.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
Fragments of a broken armrest lay on an otherwise empty table, and paint was flaking off the walls.
—Youmna Melhem Chamieh, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Jagannathan told me anecdotally that some well-meaning hosts have given up after one too many occasions of people flaking at the last minute.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flake
Dictionary Entries Near flake
Cite this Entry
“Flake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flake. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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