flattened; flattening
ˈflat-niŋ 
ˈfla-tə-
: to make flat
flatten the dough into a disk
The dog flattened its ears.
: such as
a
: to make level or smooth
flattened the papers
b
: to knock down
houses flattened by the tornado
also
: to defeat decisively
got flattened in the first round of playoffs
c
: to make dull or uninspired
… small changes … that flatten a writer's style …—
John Gross
—often used with outJohn GrossIn thus flattening out a complicated story, the book misses an opportunity …—Tony Judt
Tony Judt
d
: to make lusterless
flatten paint
e
: to stabilize especially at a lower level
a candidate promising to flatten interest rates
: 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
prices flattening out
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
The cushion and backrest are filled with dense foam that doesn’t sink or flatten over time, and the seat has a spring base for a bouncy feel.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
And yet, Waltz’s affable, wooden interpretation flattens the role and makes the movie’s moral center read as oddly mundane.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2026
Using fresh data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft, researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science have produced the most precise measurements yet of the solar system’s largest planet, showing that Jupiter is slightly smaller and more flattened than earlier estimates suggested.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
Divide the pasta mixture into four pieces and flatten with a rolling pin.
—Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flatten
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Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
And yet, Waltz’s affable, wooden interpretation flattens the role and makes the movie’s moral center read as oddly mundane.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2026
Using fresh data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft, researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science have produced the most precise measurements yet of the solar system’s largest planet, showing that Jupiter is slightly smaller and more flattened than earlier estimates suggested.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
Divide the pasta mixture into four pieces and flatten with a rolling pin.
—Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flatten
Cite this Entry
“Flatten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flatten. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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