From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishflattenflat‧ten /ˈflætn/ ●○○ verb 1 (also flatten out) [intransitive, transitive]FLAT to make something flat or flatter, or to become flat or flatter Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough. The land flattened out as we neared the coast.2 [transitive]DESTROY to destroy a building or town by knocking it down, bombing it etc SYN level Hundreds of homes were flattened by the tornado.► see thesaurus at destroy3 → flatten yourself against something4 [transitive] informalBEAT/DEFEAT to defeat someone completely and easily in a game, argument etc We flattened them 6–0.5 [transitive] informalHIT to hit someone very hard→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
flatten• Nearly every building within twenty-five kilometers of ground zero is flattened.• More than 10,000 houses were flattened by the quake.• I am now about as tall as a flattened cricket.• Place the balls of cookie dough on a baking sheet, and flatten each one with your hand.• She said that the crash-helmet would flatten her hair-do.• Her little car was completely flattened in the accident.• Roll the dough into a ball and then flatten it with a rolling pin.• Lara more or less flattens it.• He fell against me so heavily I thought he was going to flatten me.• Sleep had flattened one side of her Afro and a curl had broken free above her forehead.• The hills flatten out near the coast.• Flatten the cardboard boxes and stack them in the corner.• The wind and rain had flattened the crops.• The Packers flattened the Saints 42-6.• Shut up or I'll flatten you! 