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 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 Office vacancies rose and rents flattened, unsettling trends that helped to undermine the values of Bay Area office buildings. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 The director’s heavy-handed approach to the material also flattens the characters, especially Daisy. Janey Tracey, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024 Damage looks flattened out, with trees pointing in the same direction or fanning out from one another. Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 28 Feb. 2024 Entire families have been erased and displacement shelters flattened. Khader Al Za’anoun, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024 In practice, the movie flattens the revolutionary artist into a saintlike figure committed to peace. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2024 Compression packing cubes, in particular, are critical for saving space and flattening down clothes as much as possible. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 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 19 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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