flatten

[flat-n]

verb (used with object)

1. to make flat.

2. to knock down.

   The boxer flattened his opponent in the second round.

   Synonyms: floor, deck, prostrate, fell, ground

verb (used without object)

1. to become flat.

verb phrase

1. flatten out,  to fly into a horizontal position, as after a dive.

2. flatten in,  flat.

flatten

/ ˈflætən /

verb

1. (sometimes foll by out) to make or become flat or flatter

2. informal,  (tr)

   1. to knock down or injure; prostrate

   2. to crush or subdue

      failure will flatten his self-esteem

3. Usual US word: flat. (tr) music to lower the pitch of (a note) by one chromatic semitone

4. to manoeuvre an aircraft into horizontal flight, esp after a dive

Other Word Forms

• flattener noun
• overflatten verb (used with object)
• unflattened adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flatten¹

First recorded in 1620–30; flat ¹ + -en ¹

Example Sentences

The city of Mandeville was flattened and the main road through town was littered with debris.

Read more on BBC

Treasurys sold off, sending yields up and flattening the curve, as Fed Chair Powell threw some cold water on forecasts of another interest rate cut in December.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The outpost visited by The Wall Street Journal sits on high ground overlooking the now flattened neighborhood of Shujaiya.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

These may be eased by producing parts with rare earth in China for assembly abroad, though tariffs could lift costs and curb exports, flattening 2026 growth.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In a moment of hiring slowdowns and flattened corporate hierarchies, many employees are doing the jobs of multiple people, and some say workers should also be forgiven for looking at their phones.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• crush 
• raze 
• smash 
• straighten