flushed; flushing; flushes
: to fly away suddenly
1
: to cause (a bird) to flush
The birds were flushed out of the trees.
2
: to expose or chase from a place of concealment
flushed the boys from their hiding place
Police flushed the suspects from the building.
1
: a hand of playing cards all of the same suit
specifically
: a poker hand containing five cards of the same suit but not in sequence see poker illustration
2
: a series of three or more slalom gates set vertically on a slope
1
: a sudden flow (as of water)
also
: a rinsing or cleansing with or as if with a flush of water
2
a
: a sudden increase or expansion
especially
: sudden and usually abundant new plant growth
the spring flush of grass
b
: a surge of emotion
felt a flush of anger at the insult
3
a
: a tinge of red : blush
b
: a fresh and vigorous state
in the first flush of womanhood
4
: a transitory sensation of extreme heat compare hot flash
flushed; flushing; flushes
1
: to flow and spread suddenly and freely
2
a
: to glow brightly
b
: blush
3
: to produce new growth
the plants flush twice during the year
1
a
: to cause to flow
b
: to pour liquid over or through
especially
: to cleanse or wash out with or as if with a rush of liquid
flush the toilet
flush the lungs with air
3
: to cause to blush
1
a
: of a ruddy healthy color
b
: full of life and vigor : lusty
2
a
: filled to overflowing
streams flush with the spring runoff
b
informal
: having a large amount of money
feeling flush
a company that's flush with cash/money
3
informal
: readily available : abundant
4
a
: having or forming a continuous plane or unbroken surface
flush paneling
b
: directly abutting or immediately adjacent: such as
(1)
: set even with an edge of a type page or column : having no indention
(2)
: arranged edge to edge so as to fit snugly
flushness
noun
flushed; flushing; flushes
: to make flush
flush the headings on a page
Examples of flush in a Sentence
Noun (2)
looked for a flush on her cheeks as evidence of a fever
was in the flush of his youth
a flush of patriotic pride
Verb (2)
use this cleaner to flush the drain in the sink
he flushed deeply upon hearing the compliment
Adjective
He just got paid and he was feeling flush.
was flushed after getting out of the hot bath
Adverb
She placed her hands flush against the door and pushed with all her might.
He hit the ball flush.
Recent Examples on the Web
Penny Weaver, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2025
Garbage disposals can flush away food debris on pots and pans in a flash, but anyone who owns one of these devices knows that unpleasant smells are a regular occurrence.
—Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025
The 33-year-old was heavy-handed with her blush, giving herself the rosy flush of someone who’s just spent an hour in front of an open fire, a glass of red wine in hand.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 25 Oct. 2025
Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Privacy, sound control, and functionality are top of mind in bathrooms, and unlike traditional swing doors, barn doors hang slightly off the wall and don’t sit flush with the frame.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
If the flap doesn’t sit flush when closed, clean away lint and debris.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flush
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Prisoners tend to use more due to flushing various items and, often, intentionally plugging toilets and overflowing them, according to industry publication Correctional News.
—Penny Weaver, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2025
Garbage disposals can flush away food debris on pots and pans in a flash, but anyone who owns one of these devices knows that unpleasant smells are a regular occurrence.
—Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
Plants produce a flush of blooms in spring, followed by repeat blooms summer through fall.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025
The 33-year-old was heavy-handed with her blush, giving herself the rosy flush of someone who’s just spent an hour in front of an open fire, a glass of red wine in hand.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The half-circle shape sits flush along the wall, and the distressed white wood fits in with both modern and farmhouse rooms.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Privacy, sound control, and functionality are top of mind in bathrooms, and unlike traditional swing doors, barn doors hang slightly off the wall and don’t sit flush with the frame.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
Adverb
Yes, with a jolt switch to turn on or off
Comes with: Hook-and-loop tabs and pushpins for mounting flush to the wall with no damage, USB-A power adapter, one-year warranty, and postcards from broadcast-TV brands MeTV and COZI.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
If the flap doesn’t sit flush when closed, clean away lint and debris.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flush
Cite this Entry
“Flush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flush. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flush
1 of 5 verb
: to take flight or cause to take flight suddenly
flushed several quail
flush
2 of 5 noun1
: a sudden flow (as of water)
2
: a sudden increase (as of emotion)
a flush of triumph
3
b
: a fresh and vigorous state
the flush of youth
4
: a brief sensation of heat
flush
3 of 5 verb2
: to pour liquid over or through
especially
: to wash out with a rush of liquid
flush a toilet
3
: inflame sense 2, excite
flushed with pride
4
: to make red or hot
flush
4 of 5 adjective1
a
: of a healthy reddish color
b
: full of life and vigor : lusty
2
a
: filled to overflowing
b
informal
: well supplied especially with money
3
a
: having an unbroken surface
flush paneling
b
: even with the neighboring surface
a river flush with the top of its bank
flushness
noun
flush
5 of 5 adverb1
: so as to be flush
2
: so as to make solid contact
a blow flush on the chin
Etymology
Verb
Middle English flusshen "to fly up suddenly"
Noun
perhaps from Latin fluxus, "flow," from fluere "to flow" — related to fluid
Medical Definition
flush
1 of 2 noun
: a transitory sensation of extreme heat (as in response to some drugs or in some physiological states)
menopausal flushes
flush
2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to blush or become suddenly suffused with color due to vasodilation
: to cleanse or wash out with or as if with a rush of liquid
the newly sewn incision is flushed with saline—Don Gold
Don GoldLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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