FANG

What Does FANG Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

"FANG" means Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google.

More Detail...

"FANG" is an acronym coined in 2013, to refer to four high-performing technology stocks on the US stock market: Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google. The invention of the term FANG is credited to Jim Cramer, the host of CNBC's show Mad Money. These companies were grouped together because they were seen as some of the most powerful and influential entities in the tech sector, and their stocks performed well during that time. In 2017, Cramer added Apple, so FANG became FAANG. In 2015, Google rebranded as Alphabet and, in 2021, Facebook became META Platforms. By 2023, the value of Netflix stocks had fallen dramatically, while those of Microsoft had risen. This prompted Cramer to suggest a new acronym for the highest performing tech stocks: MAMAA: Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, and Alphabet.

Image for FANG

When I write FANG, I mean this:

"FANG" is an acronym for Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google.

Summary of Key Points

"Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google" is, by far, the most common meaning for FANG when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

FANG
Definition:	Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google
Type:	Acronym
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Specialists

An Academic Look at FANG

"FANG" can be considered an acronym, because it is formed by taking the initial letters of the company names Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google and pronouncing them together as a single word, "fang." Other examples of acronyms are:

NASA - "National Aeronautics and Space Administration."
UNICEF - "United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund."

Acronyms are often used as shorthand in many professional fields, such as technology, business, medicine, and government, as well as in general chat. They can help save time and space when communicating, especially when talking about complex or technical information. Acronyms differ from initialism abbreviations, which are pronounced using their individual letters. For example: