flatten

verb

flat·​ten ˈfla-tᵊn How to pronounce flatten (audio)
flattened; flattening ˈflat-niŋ How to pronounce flatten (audio)
ˈfla-tə-

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
flattener
ˈflat-nər How to pronounce flatten (audio)
ˈfla-tə-
noun

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
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.
The city’s Art Nouveau and Brutalist grandeur has been repeatedly battered, flattened, and obscured by war and occupation. Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 1 Nov. 2024 Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten it into a 4-in disk. Kathryn Gregory, The Courier-Journal, 31 Oct. 2024 The Israeli offensive has killed more than 42,000 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry there, displaced most of its people and flattened large swathes of the enclave. Isaac Yee, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024 One strike flattened a nine-story building in Beirut that housed one branch. Sarah El Deeb and Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for flatten 

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of flatten was in 1630

Dictionary Entries Near flatten

Cite this Entry

“Flatten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flatten. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

flatten

verb
flat·​ten ˈflat-ᵊn How to pronounce flatten (audio)
flattened; flattening ˈflat-niŋ How to pronounce flatten (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to make or become flat

More from Merriam-Webster on flatten

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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