1
as in smooths
to make free from breaks, curves, or bumps
flattened out the wrinkled paper before attempting to trace the pattern
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in buries
to defeat by a large margin
if you don't understand the rules, you're going to get flattened when you try to play
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of flattens
The metric flattens that difference into a number that appears precise and is actually only a starting point.
—
Tony Julianelle,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
The scroll has been digitally unwrapped using a technique pioneered by Seales called Volume Cartographer, which takes scans of a 3D manuscript, layer by layer, and then effectively flattens these into 2D images that can then be read.
—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
26 June 2026
The vacuum’s swivel head flattens against the floor to slide under low-lying furniture.
—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
Franck may have good reasons to be terrorizing Nora’s family, but explaining them away only flattens his character as the titular party plays out like your average hostage scenario, with a few negligible tweaks and flourishes.
—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
22 May 2026
Deal lethargy kills that electricity slowly, the way a slow leak flattens a tire.
—
George Heller,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Accessibility Not particularly, although the undulating ground flattens off around Nucciola and Amandula.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
But to deny Jackson’s complexity only flattens his genius—as well as his kindness and fragility—into something manageable, explainable.
—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
21 Apr. 2026
The first concept expands the lottery to 18 teams and flattens odds heavily, with the bottom 10 teams each sitting at 8% to land the top pick and the remaining 20% distributed among the next eight teams, plus a drawing for all 18 picks.
—
C.j. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Tony Julianelle,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
The scroll has been digitally unwrapped using a technique pioneered by Seales called Volume Cartographer, which takes scans of a 3D manuscript, layer by layer, and then effectively flattens these into 2D images that can then be read.
—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
26 June 2026
The vacuum’s swivel head flattens against the floor to slide under low-lying furniture.
—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
22 June 2026
Franck may have good reasons to be terrorizing Nora’s family, but explaining them away only flattens his character as the titular party plays out like your average hostage scenario, with a few negligible tweaks and flourishes.
—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
22 May 2026
Deal lethargy kills that electricity slowly, the way a slow leak flattens a tire.
—
George Heller,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Accessibility Not particularly, although the undulating ground flattens off around Nucciola and Amandula.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
But to deny Jackson’s complexity only flattens his genius—as well as his kindness and fragility—into something manageable, explainable.
—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
21 Apr. 2026
The first concept expands the lottery to 18 teams and flattens odds heavily, with the bottom 10 teams each sitting at 8% to land the top pick and the remaining 20% distributed among the next eight teams, plus a drawing for all 18 picks.
—
C.j. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flattens
Verb
-
Salicylic acid works deep within pores to tackle buildup, while lactic acid smooths rough texture and refines skin’s surface, leaving skin looking clearer and feeling smoother in just a few swipes.
-
By quenching dryness, the formula delivers instantly glowy skin and smooths the appearance of fine lines (which are more prominent when skin is dehydrated).
Verb
-
The algorithm buries it because the pattern is easy to detect.
-
Hollis buries herself in work in an attempt to escape her complicated grief, while aspiring filmmaker Caroline copes by making snarky remarks and bristling at her mom's efforts to connect.
Verb
-
And a strangeness suddenly overcomes me.
-
These families show that love overcomes differences.
Verb
-
Matter is so dominant in our universe that any antimatter typically encounters matter quickly and annihilates.
-
Instead of a withering blast that annihilates you instantly, the real killer would be a highly elevated risk of cancer and degenerative diseases over time.
Verb
-
Brennan, though, throws the first wrench into the works by instead trying to establish his credibility.
-
To the community whose history has been scrubbed from public view even as the nation throws itself a party in the name of freedom?
Verb
-
Trends break, sentiment changes and, sometimes, market volatility overwhelms even the cleanest chart formations.
-
Money earned from chip sales abroad quickly flows out to buy stocks like Nvidia, creating persistent downward pressure on the won that overwhelms export gains.
Verb
-
Up in the attic, a melty miasma smothers the thick winter coats, which hurt me to even look at.
-
But needy, possessive Nikki smothers Bear, and what plays out is a horrifying tale of obsessive love gone wrong — sour, curdled and violent.
Verb
-
House of the Dragon’s season-three premiere upsets the conventional wisdom.
-
According to Harvard Health, travel disrupts the body’s natural rhythms — time changes, altered eating schedules, poor sleep — which upsets digestion, especially in people with already-sensitive guts.
Cite this Entry
“Flattens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flattens. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
