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
As organizations have flattened their organizational structures and cut out middle managers, mentorship and coaching have fallen by the wayside.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
LaBonta hopes the learning curve will begin to flatten and pay dividends as the lights of competition brighten.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
The first concept expands the lottery to 18 teams and flattens odds heavily, with the bottom 10 teams each sitting at 8% to land the top pick and the remaining 20% distributed among the next eight teams, plus a drawing for all 18 picks.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
The campaign would mirror the one in Gaza, in which Israeli forces flattened and largely depopulated the eastern half of the Palestinian territory, Katz said on Tuesday.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flatten
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.
Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
LaBonta hopes the learning curve will begin to flatten and pay dividends as the lights of competition brighten.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
The first concept expands the lottery to 18 teams and flattens odds heavily, with the bottom 10 teams each sitting at 8% to land the top pick and the remaining 20% distributed among the next eight teams, plus a drawing for all 18 picks.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
The campaign would mirror the one in Gaza, in which Israeli forces flattened and largely depopulated the eastern half of the Palestinian territory, Katz said on Tuesday.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 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 29 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
