Meaning & use
flattened out
Last updated
Meanings
phrase
Having become flat or level after being pressed, stretched, or smoothed.
Grammar: Used as an adjective after a linking verb like 'be' or 'get': The road is flattened out.
Patterns
- be flattened out
- get flattened out
The dough was flattened out with a rolling pin.
After the heavy rain, the path had flattened out and was easy to walk on.
The metal sheet was flattened out by the machine.
phrase
Having become completely level or even, especially of a surface or terrain.
Grammar: Often used to describe landscapes or surfaces that were previously bumpy or sloping.
Patterns
- become flattened out
- look flattened out
The hills flattened out as we drove further east.
The carpet had flattened out where people walked most.
Use a spatula to make sure the mixture is flattened out evenly.
phrasetechnical
Having lost variation or become uniform, especially in a graph or data.
Grammar: Used in technical contexts to describe a curve or trend that becomes constant.
Patterns
- flatten out the curve
- the trend flattened out
The growth rate flattened out after the first year.
The graph flattened out towards the end of the period.
Efforts to flatten out the demand curve were successful.
Common combinations
- flattened out by
- The grass was flattened out by the heavy machinery.
- flattened out into
- The hills flattened out into a wide plain.
- get flattened out
- The cushions will get flattened out if you sit on them too much.
- flattened out completely
- The cardboard box was flattened out completely before recycling.
Synonyms and how they differ
- level
- Describes a surface that is flat and even, but does not imply a previous uneven state.
- smooth
- Focuses on a surface without bumps or roughness, not necessarily on becoming flat.
- even
- Means flat and uniform, often used for surfaces or distributions.
Opposites
Word family
- flatten verb
- To make something flat or become flat.
- flattening noun
- The act or process of making something flat.
- flattened adjective
- Having been made flat.
Commonly confused: flattened out or flattered?
flattened out vs flattered
Sounds similar but means praised or pleased, not made flat.
Practice
After the storm, the cornfield was completely ______ by the wind and rain.
Choose one answer.
The sentence needs a past participle to describe the state of the field after the storm. 'Flattened out' is the correct past participle form. 'Flattening out' would suggest an ongoing action, 'flatten out' is the base form and would not fit after 'was', and 'flattens out' is present tense and does not agree with the past time reference.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “flattened out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.