/'flætn; `flætn/
v
1 [I, Ip, Tn, Tn.p] ~ (sth) (out) become or make (sth) flat 变平; 使（某物）变平
*The land flattens out near the coast. 海岸附近地势变得很平坦.
* The graph flattens out gradually after a steep fall. 图表上的曲线突降之後逐渐趋于平稳.
* a field of wheat flattened by storms 因暴风雨而倒伏的一片小麦
* flatten (out) a piece of metal by hammering it 把一块金属砸平
* flatten oneself against a wall to let people get by 紧贴墙站直, 以便他人通过.
2 [Tn] (fig 比喻) defeat (sb) completely; depress or humiliate 彻底打败（某人）; 使沮丧; 使丢脸
*He was totally flattened by her sarcasm. 她说的挖苦话使他无地自容.

v
alsoflatten out [I and T]
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.
[T]
to destroy a building or town by knocking it down, bombing it etc
= level
　Hundreds of homes were flattened by the tornado.
flatten yourself against sth
to press your body against something
　I flattened myself against the wall.
[T]informal
to defeat someone completely and easily in a game, argument etc
　We flattened them 6-0.
[T]informal
to hit someone very hard