flattened

5 definitions • 10 examples

past simple and past participle of

to become level or cause something to become level:

Several trees were flattened (= knocked down) by the storm.

flatten out The path flattens out (= does not go up so much) as it reaches the top of the hill.

After two short climbs the road flattens.

The landscape was flattening out as the canal grew narrower.

to stop rising, falling, or changing so quickly, or to make the rate of change slower:

Television ad rates have flattened, if not declined slightly.

In the last decade we saw smoking rates flatten out and decline.

flatten out The use of a retardant coating on the surface of the powder slows the initial burn rate and flattens out the rate of change.

to make the rate of change slower for something that might be shown as a line on a graph, especially to make the increase in the rate of infections slower when a disease is spreading:

These public health measures are designed to flatten the curve in the spread of the disease.

to become level and thinner or to cause something to become level and thinner:

Flatten the pastry into a thin disc with your hands.

The biscuits will flatten out as they cook.