fill out
Britishverb
-
to make or become fuller, thicker, or rounder
her figure has filled out since her marriage
-
to make more substantial
the writers were asked to fill their stories out
-
(tr) to complete (a form, application, etc)
-
Complete by supplying required information, especially in writing. For example, Please fill out the application form , or I don't quite understand this drawing, so fill out the details . [Late 1800s]
-
Become enlarged, distended, rounded in outline. For example, The wind filled out the sails , or He's put on weight and really filled out . Applied to objects, this expression dates from about 1700, but to persons or animals becoming fatter, only from the late 1800s.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She cites the Direct File system, which helped people fill out their taxes, and which saved taxpayers $6 million on tax preparation fees in 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Those requirements dictate what California teenagers learn long before they even fill out an application.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Or they can still fill out Form 4547 with the IRS here.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
When he had to fill out paperwork, his wife was contacted even though all his details were on file.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
Henry took out a pen and began to fill out Julian’s evaluation.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
