Positioned alongside or on both sides of something; moved around the side of something, especially in military strategy.
From 'flank,' which comes from Old French 'flanc,' possibly from a Germanic source. Originally a military term for the side of a formation, now used more broadly for positioning.
In chess and military history, flanking moves have decided countless battles—a perfectly defended front is useless if your sides are exposed, which is why even the Allies' seemingly superior numbers couldn't easily break through German lines in WWI.
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