FLATTEN Synonyms: 115 Similar and Opposite Words

flatten

verb

ˈfla-tᵊn

Definition of flatten

as in to smooth

to make free from breaks, curves, or bumps flattened out the wrinkled paper before attempting to trace the pattern

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to bury

to defeat by a large margin if you don't understand the rules, you're going to get flattened when you try to play

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of flatten The ScanMax 320 automatically flattens curved book pages digitally, ensuring clean, flat text without requiring you to tear pages out or manually edit them. — New Atlas, 18 Aug. 2026 That notion flattens a complex record and turns history into a morality play of angels and demons. — Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 However, towels can sometimes flatten and feel stiff after several washes. — Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 15 Aug. 2026 Suharyanto, who, like many Indonesians, uses a single name, said the quake flattened at least 157 houses and damaged nearly 200 more, forcing about 2,000 villagers to abandon their homes and move to temporary shelters. — CBS News, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flatten

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flatten

Verb

Instead of a pomade stick, Tauber recommends using Oribe Gel Sérum on coils, applying a generous amount around the hairline before smoothing it back with a boar bristle brush.

— Marci Robin, Allure, 21 Aug. 2026
Additional nutrients present in tea, especially Yerba Mate (the favorite drink of the Guarani, many of whom live and hunt in forests year-round), can help smooth the rough edges that coffee can sometimes impose.

— Diana Helmuth, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of smooth

Verb

These included a child buried face down, a skeleton positioned as in a crucifixion, graves with stones placed around the skull as if to prevent biting or movement, as well as other graves with sickles and padlocks.

— Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
As the Danube waters shrank in Bulgaria, researchers were thrilled to find and recover a jawbone, tusks, a shoulder blade, ribs and other bone fragments belonging to an extinct woolly mammoth buried deep in the sand.

— CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of bury

Verb

And then, with the game in the balance, Taylor’s two 3-pointers over the Valkyries — against man-to-man defense — was too much to overcome.

— Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
This method could potentially be adapted for industrial manufacturing, but there were still limitations to overcome, with the biggest one being the quality of the material.

— Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of overcome

Verb

Back on the job the morning after the alert was lifted, Isidro threw a rope over an avocado tree about 20 feet (6 meters) high and climbed up.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
The quarterback who has thrown Allen the most passes during camp practices — Patrick Mahomes — spent his time Saturday standing on the sideline.

— Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of throw

Verb

If a recipe calls for 1 cup (unwhipped) whipping cream, substitute 2 cups whipped dessert topping, such as Cool Whip.

— Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2026
The first drops of espresso are vigorously whipped with sugar into a thick espumita froth inside the cup, before the rest is poured in, causing the caramelly-brown foam to rise to the top.

— Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of whip

Verb

The Houthi rebels announced a maritime blockade of the Yemeni government's backer Saudi Arabia -- which has led a coalition that heavily bombed Houthi areas throughout the war.

— August 18, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
The series has drawn early comparisons to True Detective and is quite a different take than the Reynolds film, which famously bombed at the box office.

— Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of bomb

Verb

Glazed baby back ribs, satisfyingly sticky and spiced with gochujang, come smothered with melting mozzarella for crazy long cheese pulls on Chicago-style, falling-off-the-bone pork.

— Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
Prosecutors say Sneed used a blue-and-white pillow to smother Melodi, her niece, while others slept.

— Doug Myers, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of smother

Browse Nearby Words

flat taxes

flatten

flattened

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“Flatten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flatten. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of flatten

verb

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