# flake out

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/flake-out
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to cancel plans

phrasal verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to fail to do something you promised, or to cancel plans at the last minute because you are lazy or disorganized.

For teachers: to behave unreliably by failing to fulfill a commitment or cancelling social plans at the last moment.

- We were supposed to go to the cinema, but he flaked out again.
- The lead guitarist flaked out on the band just two days before the tour, leaving them scrambling for a replacement.

Usage: Intransitive; often takes 'on' when referring to the person who was let down.

Teaching tip: This is the most common modern use. It implies a lack of reliability rather than a genuine emergency.

### 2. to fall asleep

phrasal verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to fall asleep suddenly because you are extremely tired.

For teachers: to fall asleep or lose consciousness due to physical exhaustion or intoxication.

- As soon as I got home from the long hike, I flaked out on the sofa.
- After working a double shift at the hospital, she flaked out in the staff room before she could even finish her coffee.

Usage: Intransitive; usually followed by a preposition of place like 'on' or 'in'.

Teaching tip: While similar to 'pass out', this often emphasizes exhaustion rather than just fainting or drinking.

### 3. to behave strangely

phrasal verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

to start acting in a very strange or crazy way.

For teachers: to behave eccentrically or suffer a minor mental breakdown; to lose one's composure.

- He started to flake out under the pressure of the final exams.
- The witness began to flake out during the cross-examination, giving contradictory and increasingly bizarre answers.

Usage: Intransitive.

Teaching tip: This sense is less common than the others and can sound slightly dated or very informal.

## Examples

- I'm sorry I flaked out on our dinner date last night.
- He was supposed to help me move house, but he flaked out at the last minute.
- After forty-eight hours of continuous coding, the entire development team flaked out on the office sofas, leaving the final deployment for the following morning.

## Usage notes

- Teaching tip: the noun form 'flake' describes a person who habitually does this; it is a high-frequency term in modern social media and texting contexts.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.