flatten

verb

ˈfla-tᵊn How to pronounce flatten (audio)
Definition of flattennext
1
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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 Information technology — the market's leader for as long as anyone can remember — flattened out four weeks ago and has been weakening over the last three. — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 10 July 2026 Compression packing cubes, in particular, are critical for saving space and flattening clothes as much as possible. — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2026 Using your hands, shape dough into a ball, then flatten into a 4-inch disc. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 7 July 2026 Use your finger to flatten the surface and brush away any excess chalk dust. — Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for flatten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flatten
  1. smooth
  2. bury
  3. overcome
  4. throw
  5. whip
  6. bomb
  7. annihilate
  8. smother
Verb
  • The best eye creams for wrinkles minimize the appearance of fine lines while smoothing, firming, and hydrating your eye area.
    — Daley Quinn, Glamour, 9 July 2026
  • As its name suggests, the product is formulated with skin care superstar retinol to smooth fine lines and crow’s feet and brighten dark circles.
    — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 7 July 2026
Definition of smooth
Verb
  • With Jagger’s vocals often buried deep in the muddy and murky mix, the album initially sounds like a druggy demo.
    — Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • The body of slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has arrived via plane to the Iranian city of Mashhad, where he is set to be buried, the state broadcaster IRIB reported Thursday.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
Definition of bury
Verb
  • After scoring in Mexico’s opening match against South Africa — his first goal at a World Cup — Jimenez was overcome with emotion on the pitch.
    — Tom Burrows, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • To be able to feel and touch the community of Cologne, and this person who suffered that ordeal and overcame it — and then managed to carry out the courage of her convictions with Ukrainian refugees.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2026
Definition of overcome
Verb
  • All the gold is gone, and there’s barely enough to pay her soldiers, let alone throw a lavish coronation.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • California’s court systems have also thrown their weight behind the plaintiffs in the case.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of throw
Verb
  • Vanilla ice cream was layered with strawberry sauce, pound cake pieces, strawberry crunch, whipped topping and fresh strawberries, then served with cinnamon-sugar chips fried in-house.
    — Tristan Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2026
  • The next morning, the wind whipped the lake to a froth, making the crossing to the river’s outlet impossible.
    — John Todd, Outdoor Life, 9 July 2026
Definition of whip
Verb
  • Things had improved since then, before spilling out into the open late last year when Saudi Arabia bombed a port in Yemen targeting a weapons shipment from the UAE.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 9 July 2026
  • The administration has since tried to bomb its way out of this war, but without the ability to hold territory, the United States is now merely depleting its stocks of expensive ordnance to little strategic effect.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of bomb
Verb
  • The rift between the haves and have-nots is growing, and there seems to be a growing trend to annihilate people of color.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
  • Instead, El Fasher was annihilated.
    — Janine di Giovanni, Vanity Fair, 25 June 2026
Definition of annihilate
Verb
  • These traits alone don’t make this tree invasive, but the trees began cross-pollinating with other pear species, whose offspring create thorny thickets that smother native plants and habitat.
    — Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 July 2026
  • Kristoffer Ajer and Torbjorn Heggem, in central defence, smothered Harry Kane.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Definition of smother

Browse Nearby Words

flat taxes
flatten
flattened
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Cite this Entry

“Flatten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flatten. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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