flatten

flat·ten | \ ˈfla-tᵊn

How to pronounce flatten (audio)

\

flattened; flattening\ ˈflat-niŋ

How to pronounce flattening (audio)

, ˈfla-tə- \

Definition of flatten

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

Other Words from flatten Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about flatten

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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 Despite the relaxed pose, there is something schematic, flattened and not quite there about this officer. — Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, "Kerry James Marshall’s ‘Untitled (policeman)’ shines a light on race, among other things," 6 Nov. 2019 The deal comes as the industry is facing broad tensions: New technologies are demanding deep investments, global sales are flattening, and consumers are even reconsidering the appeal of car ownership. — BostonGlobe.com, "But Fiat and PSA, the maker of Peugeot and Citroën cars, are imperfect partners.," 1 Nov. 2019 Their roll continued as the 49ers flattened the Panthers offense and rolled up 232 rushing yards while quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was efficient, completing 18 of 22 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. — Brad Biggs, chicagotribune.com, "NFL power rankings for Week 9: Bears plummet to No. 22, while a special defense keeps the Patriots locked at No. 1," 29 Oct. 2019 Trees flattened a few hundred feet of bridge railing and damaged concrete ice breakers on the upstream side. — USA TODAY, "Lynyrd Skynyrd, ‘Breaking Bad’ beer, cheetahs, record muskie: News from around our 50 states," 24 Oct. 2019 Aerial footage showed that the tornado had ripped roof shingles and siding off homes and punched out windows from their panes, with the powerful winds warping, flattening, and even uprooting fences. — Adeel Hassan, New York Times, "Dallas Tornado Leaves Trail of Damage; Storm Causes Panic at Memphis Airport," 21 Oct. 2019 Stammerjohn shows Jonny Sakhai how to flatten and smooth a board with a hand plane. — Los Angeles Times, "A band saw, a drill press and $2.3 million. College celebrates largest donation ever as ‘transformative’," 14 Oct. 2019 Kerry Pieri, Digital Fashion & Features Director The bootcut style is designed with NYDJ's exclusive Lift Tuck® technology—flattening and tucking in the front and lifting and shaping in the back. — Harper's BAZAAR, "The Jean Styles our Editors Swear By," 10 Oct. 2019 Place on prepared baking sheet two inches apart, then flatten slightly and sprinkle with sea salt. — Patrick Connolly, orlandosentinel.com, "Homemade Cookies Day: Celebrate with these three recipes," 30 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flatten.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near flatten

flattail mullet

flattened-strand rope

flattening oven

flattening stone

Statistics for flatten

Last Updated

14 Nov 2019

Time Traveler for flatten

The first known use of flatten was in 1630

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