1
as in smoothing
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 whipping
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
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Recent Examples of flattening
Different from a memory foam pillow or down/down alternative pillows, a latex pillow provides a cushioned support that’s resistant to flattening or losing its shape over time.
—
Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 28 Oct. 2025
Gilbert caused widespread destruction—flattening over 100,000 homes, crippling power and communication networks, and claiming 45 lives.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Compression packing cubes, in particular, are critical for saving space and flattening clothes as much as possible.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
The bowl diffuser features aluminum plates that heat up to expedite your dry time, and the comb attachment helps detangle without flattening out your ringlets.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
Live Translation, in aiming to fix all that messiness in an algorithm streamed through Bluetooth earbuds, is not opening human communication up so much as flattening it.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
Manufacturing was the main drag on growth, flattening after a 5% expansion in the second quarter.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
The movie flattening Carrie into someone downtrodden and fragile, rather than standoffish and conflicted, makes the whole resolution feel a little too clean.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Engage your lower abdominal muscles by tucking your pelvis and flattening the curve in your lower back by lowering it to the floor or drawing your belly button to the floor.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 7 Oct. 2025
Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 28 Oct. 2025
Gilbert caused widespread destruction—flattening over 100,000 homes, crippling power and communication networks, and claiming 45 lives.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Compression packing cubes, in particular, are critical for saving space and flattening clothes as much as possible.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
The bowl diffuser features aluminum plates that heat up to expedite your dry time, and the comb attachment helps detangle without flattening out your ringlets.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
Live Translation, in aiming to fix all that messiness in an algorithm streamed through Bluetooth earbuds, is not opening human communication up so much as flattening it.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
Manufacturing was the main drag on growth, flattening after a 5% expansion in the second quarter.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
The movie flattening Carrie into someone downtrodden and fragile, rather than standoffish and conflicted, makes the whole resolution feel a little too clean.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Engage your lower abdominal muscles by tucking your pelvis and flattening the curve in your lower back by lowering it to the floor or drawing your belly button to the floor.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flattening
Verb
-
The second photo was noticeably different from the first, instead showing a recent image of heavy machinery smoothing gravel where lush green grass once grew.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The jeans’ gap-proof waistband, stomach-smoothing technology, high-rise fit perfect for layering over bodysuits, and chic black hue.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In one short, a young Stuckmann, dressed as Harrison Ford's lasso-whipping adventurer, jumps onto the back of a moving car.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
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Mash as desired, either with a potato masher or by whipping with an electric mixer.—
Elizabeth Nelson,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Recently that ranged from a man in his 70s who lost his childhood sweetheart to cancer to a woman who was burying her beloved horse.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
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In the Balkans and Turkey, some traditional recipes called for dropping ants into warm milk, covering it with cheesecloth, and burying the whole thing in an ant mound overnight.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Penix and London, along with Bijan Robinson, have been heavily involved in Atlanta's offense this season, so regardless of who the opponent is missing, overcoming the loss of your starting quarterback and leading pass catcher will be a tough task.—
Cameron Belcher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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But there's also a lot of stories of people overcoming a lot of obstacles, and that's synonymous with what Kayla has done.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
An art conservator who'd prefer to be immersed in detail work, Sarah is bombing as the host of a dinner party where her entrepreneur husband (Tom Riley) hopes to impress an obnoxious prospective investor (Tom Goodman-Hill) when a literal explosive goes off in her neighborhood.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
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Trump has often expressed verbal frustration with Putin, accusing him of making positive diplomatic noises before bombing Ukrainian civilians again, but until now had avoided taking direct action.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Adams’ Exit Narrows the Field After Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race, much of his support appeared to transfer to Cuomo, trimming Mamdani’s lead.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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After trimming a 17-point third quarter deficit to 12 to start the fourth quarter, Kerr sent the starters back out to begin the fourth quarter.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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All three celebs proved how versatile a quarter-zip pullover can be by throwing it on during a relaxing night at home, pairing it with sweatpants for a matching set, and dressing it up with slacks.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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The synopsis above only covers the first 20 minutes or so of the movie; after that, Kouf keeps throwing twist after twist into the mix, constantly drawing the viewer in with developments that are both emotionally impactful and thematically rich.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Oh, and stopping the Soviets from annihilating the world.—
Vulture Editors,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
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As a result, Israel preserved its existence without annihilating vast opposition forces.—
ANDRIY ZAGORODNYUK,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flattening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flattening. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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