1
as in smooths
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 buries
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 flattens
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
Robby’s pivot is, of course, intentional, a way for The Pitt to highlight how burnout flattens committed frontline workers into people who simply can’t do it anymore.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Like the space bags of infomercials past, this more aesthetic option flattens almost completely, leaving plenty of room for potential souvenirs.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 Mar. 2026
Some people would argue that the basic apparatus of cinema — a camera that then flattens images into two dimensions to be projected on a screen — hasn’t changed much since the Lumière brothers, despite obvious technological advancements.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026
Instead of feeling like the padding flattens out halfway through the day, these stay soft and supportive mile after mile.
—Olivia Cefalu, InStyle, 9 Mar. 2026
Seasons in the Hindu Kush—Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter,2009–11, has the spectator stand above crushed pots as if surveying terrain from above—the godlike perspective of the Mercator projection, where mountains become miniature and geography flattens into a navigable surface.
—Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
His visual approach, however, flattens the ensuing emotional layers.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
Fatigue that flattens whole weekends.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 6 Jan. 2026
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
Robby’s pivot is, of course, intentional, a way for The Pitt to highlight how burnout flattens committed frontline workers into people who simply can’t do it anymore.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Like the space bags of infomercials past, this more aesthetic option flattens almost completely, leaving plenty of room for potential souvenirs.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 Mar. 2026
Some people would argue that the basic apparatus of cinema — a camera that then flattens images into two dimensions to be projected on a screen — hasn’t changed much since the Lumière brothers, despite obvious technological advancements.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026
Instead of feeling like the padding flattens out halfway through the day, these stay soft and supportive mile after mile.
—Olivia Cefalu, InStyle, 9 Mar. 2026
Seasons in the Hindu Kush—Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter,2009–11, has the spectator stand above crushed pots as if surveying terrain from above—the godlike perspective of the Mercator projection, where mountains become miniature and geography flattens into a navigable surface.
—Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
His visual approach, however, flattens the ensuing emotional layers.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
Fatigue that flattens whole weekends.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flattens
Verb
-
Vivian smooths any potential strands that may have escaped from her low bun and then brushes up the steep stone steps to the front door.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Avène’s Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream smooths it all, thanks to soothing thermal spring water that helps skin bounce back from stress.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Placer County Water Agency has mapped out $295 million in projects that will upgrade infrastructure, such as rebuilding plants and rehabbing buries pipes, from the foothills to the freeway.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Despite such doubts, Malaysia is positioning itself as Southeast Asia's hub for the alternative technology, a three-step process that captures, transports and buries carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This overcomes a key limitation in the field, and could help improve technologies that use sunlight to produce clean fuels and chemicals.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Leo consistently overcomes challenges such as low light, rapid movement, and split second moments to produce sharp, compelling images.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Dreams blend and bend time; death annihilates it, and Miller’s play is both.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Gautier Hamel de Monchenault, CERN director for research and computing, hailed the feat as remarkable, as antimatter is difficult to preserve and annihilates on contact with matter.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Through all these threads, The Audacity throws itself headlong at some of tech’s biggest hot-button topics, including privacy, AI and, in an oddly halfhearted subplot involving JoAnne’s son, Everett Bliunck’s Orson, the manosphere, with an eye as cold as its characters.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Spieth, nine holes away from another wire-to-wire victory, throws it away with a collapse around Amen Corner that is shocking even by Augusta National standards.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then emotion, suddenly, overwhelms her.—
TIME,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
-
And its power overwhelms that kind of analogy.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This invasive groundcover spreads aggressively by rhizomes and smothers nearby plants.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The pieces knit together to form a cast iron surface that sheds water, smothers weeds and holds up for a long time.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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By amalgamating these museological devices into the artwork, Aram directly upsets the threefold impulse to pierce form with meaning, to arrest color with identity, and to neutralize bodies with limits.—
Julian Stern,
Artforum,
24 Mar. 2026
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If iron upsets your stomach, take it with a small snack.—
Sara Hoffman,
Verywell Health,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flattens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flattens. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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