flexed; flexing; flexes
1
: to bend especially repeatedly
2
a
: to move muscles so as to cause flexion of (a joint)
b
: to move or tense (a muscle) by contraction
3
: use, demonstrate
flexing her skills as a singer
1
: bend
2
informal
a
: to talk in a boastful or aggressive way
"Bronze" is one of the most straightforward new tracks: a boastful and insidiously dark song that sees him flexing about his many wins.—
Raisa Bruner
—often used with on to indicate the person, group, etc. at whom the talk is directedRaisa BrunerHip-hop has never just been about selling drugs, flexing on haters, and threatening enemies, as many like to portray it.—Aaron Williams
Aaron Williams… he … went searching for criticism, then tried to flex on a random criticizer.—Ashley Feinberg
Ashley Feinberg"… And if President Trump is going to continue to flex on China, whether it's with tariffs, whether it's just talking tough and tweeting tough, that still draws a very stark contrast between himself and the Democratic Party. …"—Mattie Duppler
Mattie Duppler
b
: to make an ostentatious display of something : show off
While tons of influencers love to flex on Instagram via designer bags and other luxury splurges, others are all about that perfect high-low balance …—Bella Gerard
—often used with on to indicate the person, group, etc. at whom the display is directedBella GerardIt's in-your-face branding that is all about flexing on your friends in their more common, more conventional limousines.—Max Finkel
Max Finkel
plural flexes
1
: an act or instance of flexing or bending
[Trae] Young finished with 22 points, seven assists and two steals—and a muscle flex after the game-winner.—Chris Vivlamore
Chris Vivlamore2
: flexibility, pliancy
The … fillet blade has a nice flex to it.—Matt Foster
Matt Foster3
informal
: an act of bragging or showing off
Monster (1994) was R.E.M.'s weird flex: an over-the-top rock album saturated with distortion, propelled by power chords and guitar feedback, and voiced by singer Michael Stipe's newly found enthusiasm.—David Gill
David Gill
Phrases
flex one's muscles
: to demonstrate one's strength
an exaggerated need to flex his political muscles—J. P. Lash
J. P. LashExamples of flex in a Sentence
Verb
He flexed the muscles of his right arm.
a material that flexes easily
Recent Examples on the WebMadeline Cisneros, EW.com, 19 May 2024
Before the strike vote results came out, the University of California said the union was inappropriately flexing its muscle on a political issue.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for flex 
Verb
In 2001, Banks flexed her comedy muscles in the cult classic Wet Hot American Summer as magazine writer and undercover camp counselor Lindsay.
—Madeline Cisneros, EW.com, 19 May 2024
Before the strike vote results came out, the University of California said the union was inappropriately flexing its muscle on a political issue.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for flex
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flex.' 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 flex
Cite this Entry
“Flex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flex. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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