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TOEIC Link Part 5: flout versus flaunt

Flout is a verb meaning to openly disregard a rule; flaunt is a verb meaning to display something showily. They sound almost alike and are both verbs, so Part 5 uses the pair to check whether you read the meaning of the sentence rather than the shape of the word.

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TOEIC Link Part 5: flout versus flaunt

Flout and flaunt sound almost alike and are both verbs, yet they mean very different things. Flout means to openly disregard or defy a rule, law, or convention; flaunt means to display something showily so that others notice. Because both are transitive verbs, grammar alone will not separate them — Part 5 forces you to read the meaning of the sentence. For a related pair of look-alike verbs, see the sound-alike verb pairs study guide.

The core rule: defy a rule versus show off

  • flout (verb) = to openly disregard a rule or convention. Several drivers flouted the new parking regulations. / The firm flouted industry safety standards for years.
  • flaunt (verb) = to display something showily. The company flaunted its record profits in the annual report. / He liked to flaunt his expertise in meetings.

The clue here is meaning, not part of speech — both are transitive verbs that take an object. The object tells you which one fits: you flout a rule, law, or norm; you flaunt a possession, quality, or achievement you want noticed.

Why Part 5 likes this pair

Because grammar cannot decide the answer, the surrounding words must.

The contractor was fined for continuing to __ the building code.

The object is the building code — a set of rules being disregarded — so the answer is flout.

During the presentation, the manager could not resist the urge to __ her latest award.

The object is her latest award — something displayed to impress — so flaunt is required.

Spotting the clue in the object

Ask what is being done to the object:

  • The object is a rule, law, regulation, or convention that is being ignored or defied → choose flout (flout the rules, flout convention, flout a ban).
  • The object is a possession, skill, or achievement shown off for admiration → choose flaunt (flaunt wealth, flaunt success, flaunt a talent).

A quick test settles most items: if you could swap in defy or ignore, you want flout; if you could swap in show off or parade, you want flaunt. For another pair where meaning rather than grammar decides the answer, see imply versus infer.

Quick self-check

  1. Employees who __ the dress code will receive a warning. (flout — disregard)
  2. The startup used the launch event to __ its new technology. (flaunt — show off)

Takeaway

If the object is a rule being disregarded, you need flout. If the object is something displayed to impress, you need flaunt. Read the object, not the sound of the verb, and two near-homophones stop competing. To see how this pair fits the wider set of Part 5 traps, start with the commonly confused word pairs master index.