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

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

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2026

The meeting will cap off a week of negotiations between U.S. officials and their Asian counterparts as they try to flesh out preliminary trade pacts struck in recent months.

From Barron's • Oct. 28, 2025

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

Together, these versatile actors help flesh out the Harlem neighborhood.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025

Guarded by Spot, a surly Dalmatian who took hunks of flesh out of reporters who got too close, he stormed around the barn and fretted, pouted and balked in his workouts.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Related Words

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