flush

To send water through a toilet to carry away waste.

• Please flush the toilet.
• He flushed before leaving the bathroom.
• The toilet won’t flush properly.

Common phrases: flush the toilet, flush something away, flush after use

If your face or skin does this, it becomes red because of strong feelings, heat, or illness.

• His face began to flush.
• She flushed when everyone looked at her.
• The child’s cheeks were flushed with fever.

How to use it: flush with + feeling (Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.)

Similar words: redden, blush

Opposites: pale

Common phrases: flush with anger, flush bright red, flush with embarrassment

To clean something or remove something from it by sending a lot of water through it.

• Flush the tank with water.
• They flushed dirt out of the pipes.
• Run the tap to flush any remaining sand away.

How to use it: flush something with something (Flush the pipe with clean water.); flush something out of something (The rain flushed the mud out of the drain.)

Similar words: rinse, wash out

Common phrases: flush something out, flush with water, flush the pipes

To make an animal or person leave a place where they are hiding.

• The dog flushed a pheasant.
• Police tried to flush the suspect out.
• Our footsteps flushed several birds from the grass.

How to use it: flush someone/something out of somewhere (The dogs flushed a rabbit out of the bushes.); flush someone/something from somewhere (The hunters flushed birds from the reeds.)

Similar words: drive out, rouse

Common phrases: flush something out, flush out birds, flush out someone

An action that sends water through a toilet to carry away waste.

• Give the toilet a flush.
• One flush was enough to clear it.
• The toilet uses less water with each flush.

Common phrases: toilet flush, give something a flush, flush button

A slight red or pink colour on the surface of something.

• The peach had a pink flush.
• A rosy flush coloured the clouds.
• There was a faint flush on her pale cheeks.

How to use it: a flush of + colour (A flush of pink spread across the evening sky.)

Similar words: tinge, blush

Common phrases: pink flush, rosy flush, flush of colour

At exactly the same level as another surface, without sticking out or being lower.

• The two surfaces are flush.
• Fit the tiles flush with the floor.
• The door closes flush against the frame.

How to use it: flush with something (The lid should be flush with the top of the box.); flush against something (The cabinet sits flush against the wall.)

Similar words: level, even

Opposites: uneven

Common phrases: flush with something, flush against something, flush surface

Having plenty of money, especially for a short time.

• I’m feeling flush today.
• She was flush after getting her bonus.
• Can you pay, if you’re so flush?

How to use it: flush with something (The company is flush with cash after the sale.)

Similar words: well-off, rich

Opposites: broke, poor

Common phrases: flush with cash, feel flush, flush with money