flaky

adjective

ˈflā-kē How to pronounce flaky (audio)
variants also flakey
Definition of flakynext
as in brittle
having a texture that readily breaks into little pieces under pressure a tender but flaky crust on the pastry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of flaky Phone connectivity is flaky, app casting is awkward, and file-sharing seems to be flat-out broken. — Dominic Preston, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026 First comes the tightness and dullness, then the flaky patches around my cheeks. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 9 Oct. 2026 The goal isn’t a flaky, tender dough studded with large pockets of fat like for pastry. — Martha Stewart, 9 Oct. 2026 Wellsley Farms Maple Pecan Danish A delightfully sweet breakfast treat or a post-dinner dessert, these maple pecan danishes are flaky pastries twirled with maple and pecans. — Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flaky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flaky
  1. brittle
  2. crisp
Adjective
  • Peanut brittle in individual packages lack the name of producer and ingredients.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Robotics is already operating at scale in some structured environments, while remaining expensive, brittle or difficult to integrate in others.
    — Rodrigo Madanes, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of brittle
Adjective
  • The production as a whole isn’t always as crisp as Irwin himself.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Why not introduce a nostalgic print to crisp shirting and layered necklaces, or experiment with a color combinations outside of your comfort zone?
    — Minty Mellon, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of crisp

Browse Nearby Words

flaking
flaky
flamboyance
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flaky. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All