verb · neutral
flatten
/ˈflætən/FLAT·ten
Band 5-6speakingtask2
make flat or level; reduce sharply (in contexts like 'flatten the curve')
Examples
“The crew flattened the road before paving it.”
“Strict measures helped flatten the curve during the outbreak.”
“The tyre was flattened after the accident.”
Band 8 sentence
“Early intervention and strict social distancing helped flatten the infection curve within weeks.”
Collocations
- flatten the curve
- flatten a surface
- flatten profits (informal)
Word family
flatten vflattens v (3rd sing)flattening v -ing / nounflattened v (past/past participle)flat adj
Common mistakes
They flatted the floor before laying tiles.→They flattened the floor before laying tiles.
The measures flatten the curve quicklyed.→The measures flattened the curve quickly.
Say it for a higher band
5make flat→6level→7+flatten
Synonyms
level
Easily confused
level
“They levelled the ground before building the foundation.”
Related words
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In -en
Learn it with its set