flesh out — add detail (to an idea or plan)
to add more information or detail to something, such as an idea, plan, or argument, to make it clearer or more complete
Say it like a native
Textbook We should elaborate upon the proposal with further particulars.
Native We need to flesh out the proposal a bit.
'Flesh out' is the natural verb for adding detail to an outline; 'elaborate upon... with further particulars' is legalistic.
Pattern: flesh out something | flesh something out
In use
- We need to flesh out our proposal before presenting it to the board.study
- In my opinion, it's important to flesh out your arguments in the essay so the examiner can clearly follow your reasoning.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Let's flesh out more the idea.
✓ Let's flesh out the idea a bit more. / flesh the idea out.
Word order: 'flesh out the idea', not 'flesh out more the idea'.
Common collocations
flesh out + outline— the idea, the details, a plan, the argument
Don't confuse it
'Flesh out' is different from 'figure out' (which means to understand or solve something) and from 'fill out' (which means to complete a form). 'Flesh out' is only used for making ideas, plans, or arguments more detailed.