flesh out

verb

To complete; to create details from a basic outline, structure, or skeleton.

“The model shows the basics, but we still need to flesh out the details.”

Similar
round outfattenfatfill outplumpplump outfatten outfatten up
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Meanings

verbflesh out (third-person singular simple present fleshes out, present participle fleshing out, simple past and past participle fleshed out)

present singular third person fleshes out · participle present fleshing out · participle past fleshed out · past fleshed out

  1. idiomatictransitiveTo complete; to create details from a basic outline, structure, or skeleton.

    The model shows the basics, but we still need to flesh out the details.

    Synonyms: round out

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo complete; to create details from a basic outline, structure, or skeleton.

Similar
round out

More synonyms by meaning

verbmake fat or plump

Similar
fattenfatfill outplumpplump outfatten outfatten up
Broader
changealtermodify

verbadd details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing

Similar
elaboratelucubrateexpatiateexpositenlargeexpandexpounddilate
Broader
clarifyclear upelucidate

verbbecome round, plump, or shapely

Similar
roundfill out
Broader
gainput on
Also see
dilateelaborateenlargeexpandexpatiateexpositexpoundfatfattenfatten upfill outlucubrateplumproundround out

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Chinese 充实
  • 充实 (chōngshí)complete
Finnish täydentää
  • täydentääcomplete
French détailler
  • détaillercomplete
German herausarbeiten, ausschmücken
  • herausarbeitencomplete
  • ausschmückencomplete
Polish uszczegóławiać, uszczegółowić
  • uszczegóławiaćcomplete
  • uszczegółowićcomplete
  • uwypuklaćcomplete
  • uwypuklićcomplete
Portuguese desenvolver
  • desenvolvercomplete
Romanian concretiza
  • concretizacomplete
Russian расширя́ть, облека́ть пло́тью
  • расширя́ть (rasširjátʹ)complete
  • облека́ть пло́тью (oblekátʹ plótʹju)complete
  • конкретизи́ровать (konkretizírovatʹ)complete
Spanish desarrollar, detallar
  • desarrollarcomplete
  • detallarcomplete
  • concretarcomplete
  • concretizarcomplete
  • corporeizarcomplete
  • corporizarcomplete
  • corporificarcomplete
Swedish fylla ut
  • fylla utcomplete
Vietnamese hoàn thiện
  • hoàn thiệncomplete
Cite this entry
APA

flesh out. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flesh%20out

MLA

“flesh out.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flesh%20out. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “flesh out,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flesh%20out.

Source: flesh out on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.