flatten
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於平稳.
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.
Officials used to have trouble with the foreign names of people passing through Ellis Island, and because they were so busy, many people's names got changed in the rush.