flatten
/ˈflæ.tən/ verb B2- To make something flat or flatter. · As there was a lot of damage, we chose the heavy roller to flatten the pitch.· Mary would flatten the dough before rolling it into pretzels.
- To press one's body tightly against a surface, such as a wall or floor, especially in order to avoid being seen or harmed.
- To knock down or lay low. · The prize fighter quickly flattened his challenger.
- To become flat or flatter; to plateau. · Prices have flattened out.
- To be knocked down or laid low.
- To lower by a semitone.
- To make vapid or insipid; to render stale.
- To reduce (a data structure) to one that has fewer dimensions, e.g. a 2×2 array into a list of four elements.
He/she/it flattens · Past flattened · Past participle flattened · -ing form flattening
Verb forms
- Base form
- flatten
- He/she/it
- flattens
- Past
- flattened
- Past participle
- flattened
- -ing form
- flattening
From the library
Again Holmes flattened out the paper upon his unused plate.
When all were safely down they picked up the Scarecrow, whose body was quite flattened out, and patted his straw into shape again.
As he glanced down the advertisement column, with his head thrust forward and the paper flattened out upon his knee, I took a good look at the man and endeavoured, after the fashion of my companion, to read the indications which might be presented by his dress or appearance.
From this he took a paper, and returning to his seat he flattened it out beside the taper on the edge of the table, and began to study it with minute attention.
Learn flatten in real texts
With a free account, hover any word in the library for its meaning, hear it read aloud, save words for review timed to your memory, and see how much of each book you already know.