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
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Recent Examples of flatten
Think bras with pointed cups and bandeau slips that cover and flatten the belly.
—
Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 10 July 2025
After six months of regular use, this foam pillow kept its perfectly plush shape and didn’t flatten or become overly squishy.
—Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 July 2025
Add 1/2 cup filling to the center of one tortilla, flattening the filling into an even, 4-inch circle just a bit smaller than the width of your tostadas.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 July 2025
The internet has fragmented and flattened subcultures.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for flatten
Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 10 July 2025
After six months of regular use, this foam pillow kept its perfectly plush shape and didn’t flatten or become overly squishy.
—Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 July 2025
Add 1/2 cup filling to the center of one tortilla, flattening the filling into an even, 4-inch circle just a bit smaller than the width of your tostadas.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 July 2025
The internet has fragmented and flattened subcultures.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for flatten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flatten
Verb
-
Iron the back side or inside of the fabric first, then flip it over to smooth the outside.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
20 July 2025
-
Downy’s wrinkle spray works in a matter of seconds: Just lay your clothing flat, spritz it with wrinkle release spray, and use your hands to smooth the material out.—
Rylee Johnston,
Travel + Leisure,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
Visualizations, correlation maps and plain-language summaries must be built into the interface—not buried in logs or reserved for advanced users.—
Karthik Sj,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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The brothers were buried in a single grave, their white caskets stacked gently atop each other.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
29 July 2025
Verb
-
The Austin district relied heavily on contractors to overcome its chronic backlog of evaluation requests.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
-
Thunderbolts showed us the true power of the group hug to overcome . . .—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
Verb
-
His brother, Eugene Howard, threw him into a small pool of water, thereby probably saving his life.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
29 July 2025
-
One of his college teammates, Jack Tuttle, a former four-star recruit who had seen Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields at quarterback camps, believed J.J. McCarthy threw with more RPMs (revolutions per minute).—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
28 July 2025
Verb
-
On a Friday night in February on East Sixth Street, a steely-eyed bar doorman rushed around a crowd agitating on the sidewalk and whipped a flashlight above his shoulder.—
Ella McCarthy,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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While the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has begun rolling back its shoes-off policy at security checkpoints, this ability to whip them off and on in seconds is still majorly convenient for travel.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
29 July 2025
Verb
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This deal also comes at a time when President Trump has become more critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing to bomb Ukrainian towns and cities.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
-
It’s all gone wrong and the Brazilian 23-year-old has been bombed into the reserves.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
29 July 2025
Verb
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However, the antiproton qubit is unlikely to find work in quantum computing because ordinary matter can be used for that more easily without the risk of the antimatter annihilating.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
24 July 2025
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The central working assumption of PEN America and of the State Department—that the liberal American can teach the seriously swarming races what is meant by democracy—has been annihilated.—
Pankaj Mishra,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
Verb
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Instead, bruising inside Aria’s cheeks and cuts in her mouth consistent with being smothered to death were discovered, said Dr. Tran.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 July 2025
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This lightweight leave-in conditioner is designed for all curl types, from loose waves to coily textures, and hydrates without adding a smothering layer of buildup.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flatten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flatten. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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