Flak

/flæk/ · noun

Meaning

Ground-based anti-aircraft guns firing explosive shells..

Definitions by Sense

1. Ground-based anti-aircraft guns firing explosive shells.
2. Anti-aircraft shell fire.
3. (figuratively, informal) Adverse criticism.
4. (informal) A public-relations spokesperson.

Example Sentences

Another peculiar modern development is that of […] military abbreviations in army orders such as Flak ('Fliegerabwehrkanone' or 'archie')[.]

[…] to consider whether the city was in February 1945 an undefended city within the meaning of the 1907 Hague Convention, it will be necessary to examine the establishment and subsequent total dispersal of the city's flak batteries, before the date of the triple blow.

He was promoted to general of flak artillery on March 1, 1945, and ended the war as the general of the flak arm at OKL, the High Command of the Luftwaffe.

At 1057 we were just over the islands and at 1100 the tail gunner reported flak at six o'clock, below.

Young Ratchford was first reported missing in action and later reported killed in action as of March 9. He was flight engineer on a B-24 Liberator bomber, and his plane was seen to go down in flames just after it had passed over Munster, where it had encountered heavy flak.

I could hear the fragments from the flak shells hitting the plane like someone throwing rocks at it.

There’s always been a built-in backlash against big-scale caprices like Raiders of the Lost Ark from people who think that $20 million should be spent on more than entertainment for its own sake. Raiders may also get flak for not being as cuddly-lovable as Star Wars, or for using those old reliables – the Nazis – as villains, or for dazzling the audience with an almost brazen self-confidence.

This filter Herman and Chomsky call “flak,” which refers to letters, speeches, phone calls, and other forms of group and individual complaints. Advertisers and broadcasters avoid programming content that might cause large volumes of flak.

Synonyms for flak

Antonyms for flak

Related Words

Word Forms

• flaks
• flack

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions