Dictionary

outflank en · VERB

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-Germanic *ūt- Old English ūt- Middle English ut- English out- English flank English outflank From out- + flank.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To maneuver around and behind the flank of (an opposing force).
2. (transitive) To 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:
   • 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:

Forms

Deriveds

outflanker

Translations (6)

fi koukata (to maneuver around and behind) · cy ystlysu (to maneuver around and behind) · sv överflygla (to maneuver around and behind) · bg обхождам (to maneuver around and behind) · cy gorasgellu (to maneuver around and behind) · fr déborder (to maneuver around and behind)