Flatten Meaning
/ˈflæ.tən/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo make something flat or flatter.
verbTo press one's body tightly against a surface, such as a wall or floor, especially in order to avoid being seen or harmed.
Sentence Examples
That new company could flatten the competition.
We need to flatten the curve.
What does it really mean to "flatten the curve"?
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
We used a heavy roller to ____ the bumpy garden soil before planting the seeds.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The heavy steamroller was used to ____ the new asphalt on the city's main terminal.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *flataz Old Norse flatrbor. Middle English flat English flat English -en English flatten From flat + -en.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Attempting to block the police van's path, protesters periodically surrounded the vehicle and eventually flattened one of its tires."
— 1989 April 15, Michael Ambrosino, “Acting Up In The Northwest”, in Gay Community News, page 16:
"With a bolt of fright he remembered that there was no bathroom in the Hob-house Room. He leapt along the corridor in a panic, stopping by the long-case clock at the end where he flattened himself against the wall."
— 1994, Stephen Fry, chapter 2, in The Hippopotamus:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
We used a heavy roller to ____ the bumpy garden soil before planting the seeds.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The heavy steamroller was used to ____ the new asphalt on the city's main terminal.