flesh out

British  

verb

1. (tr) to give substance to (an argument, description, etc)

2. (intr) to expand or become more substantial

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flesh out Idioms  

1. Also, put flesh on the bones of. Give substance to, provide with details, amplify. For example, The editor told her to flesh out the story, or You need to put flesh on the bones of these characters. This metaphoric expression, alluding to clothing a nude body or adding flesh to a skeleton, was in the mid-1600s put simply as to flesh, the adverb out being added about two centuries later.

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Example Sentences

Price increases for all the stuff needed to flesh out AI technology are unlikely to deflate anytime soon.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

Trump says he will flesh out his housing affordability plan this coming week in a speech at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, which strikes some as a curious choice of venue.

From Barron's • Jan. 16, 2026

They flesh out the narrative just slightly enough not to feel entirely superfluous.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2026

Springsteen was planning to flesh out the “Nebraska” demos with his band in New York, and spent a lot of time doing various versions of the songs, but didn’t like the feel of them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

Ma’am, I wonder if you could help me flesh out the story some.”

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• add to
• appreciate
• augment
• boost
• build up
• complement
• enlarge
• heighten
• increase
• intensify
• raise
• reinforce
• strengthen
• upgrade