flatten

verb

flat·​ten ˈfla-tᵊn How to pronounce flatten (audio)
flattened; flattening ˈflat-niŋ How to pronounce flatten (audio)
ˈfla-tə-

transitive verb

: to make flat: such as
a
: to make level or smooth
b
: to knock down
also : to defeat decisively
c
: to make dull or uninspired
often used with out
d
: to make lusterless
flatten paint
e
: to stabilize especially at a lower level

intransitive verb

: to become flat or flatter: such as
a
: to become dull or spiritless
b
: to extend in or into a flat position or form
c
: to become uniform or stabilized often at a new lower level
usually used with out
flattener
ˈflat-nər How to pronounce flatten (audio)
ˈfla-tə-
noun

Examples of flatten in a Sentence

Dozens of houses were flattened by the tornado. The boxer was flattened in the seventh round. The team got flattened in the first round of the play-offs. Prices are expected to flatten after the holiday shopping season.
Recent Examples on the Web But the sales totals flattened out between 2022 and 2023. Mae Anderson, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 An Israeli strike early Saturday flattened a house in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 19 people, including nine children, according to records at the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2024 An Israeli strike early Saturday flattened a house in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 19 people including nine children, according to records at the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital. Samy Magdy, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024 While tornadoes can flatten homes and level trees, so too can microbursts, which are storms that can tear through an area with 100 mph winds. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Mar. 2024 But to make all of that oil, endless miles of rainforests worldwide — regions along the Equator vital to biodiversity and the fight against climate change — have been flattened and burned and turned into palm oil plantations. Dionne Searcey, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 The internet tends to flatten all that, though; a casual user might not know the difference between a trusted source and a slapdash amateur. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 On the national level, rental rates have flattened over the past year — which is good news following the head-spinning increases of 2022 into 2023. Michael Kolomatsky, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 In the case of a car crash, the fluffy padding from a coat will immediately flatten out from the force and leave extra space under the harness in which a child can slip through the straps and be thrown from the seat. Casey Clark, Parents, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flatten.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of flatten was in 1630

Dictionary Entries Near flatten

Cite this Entry

“Flatten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flatten. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

flatten

verb
flat·​ten ˈflat-ᵊn How to pronounce flatten (audio)
flattened; flattening ˈflat-niŋ How to pronounce flatten (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to make or become flat

More from Merriam-Webster on flatten

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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