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flesh out

B2 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

To take a rough idea and add more details so everyone understands it better.

Literal meaning: To add flesh (muscle and substance) to a skeleton — the metaphor helps learners understand the idiomatic leap from bare bones to fully developed.

Meanings

1 B2 idiomatic neutral

To add more detail and substance to an idea, plan, or argument.

"The manager asked the team to flesh out their proposal before presenting it to the board."

Grammar: separable
2 B2 idiomatic neutral

To develop a fictional character or narrative with more depth and detail.

"The author spent the second draft fleshing out the minor characters so they felt more real."

Grammar: separable
3 B1 neutral

To make something fuller or more substantial in a physical or general sense.

"Regular meals helped flesh out his thin frame after the illness."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Very common in academic, business, and creative writing contexts. Often used with words like 'idea', 'plan', 'proposal', or 'character'. Almost always transitive.

Commonly used with

idea plan proposal character argument concept

Forms

Base
flesh out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
fleshes out
he/she/it
Past simple
fleshed out
yesterday
Past participle
fleshed out
have + pp
-ing form
fleshing out
continuous

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