flesh out

verb

1. tr to give substance to (an argument, description, etc)
2. intr to expand or become more substantial

Idioms and Phrases

Also, put flesh on the bones of . Give substance to, provide with details, amplify. For example, The editor told her to flesh out the story , or You need to put flesh on the bones of these characters . This metaphoric expression, alluding to clothing a nude body or adding flesh to a skeleton, was in the mid-1600s put simply as to flesh , the adverb out being added about two centuries later.

Example Sentences

Such playful bickering characterized the collaboration Gascón and Audiard developed over the yearlong process of fleshing out Emilia and her story.

From Los Angeles Times

She has a terrific speech about dating him, which fleshes out her character, while the other women are denied such an opportunity, which is a drawback.

From Salon

You flesh out the story of the Appeal to Heaven flag, which came onto people's radar only after Sam Alito — who is Catholic — flew this outside of his house.

From Salon

So, let’s flesh out a bit of what was actually discussed last night to better understand each candidates’ positions on major political flashpoints like the economy and immigration, and how those coincide with food.

From Salon

Friday's report will help to flesh out that puzzle, offering a key piece of evidence as voters impressions start to cement ahead of the November vote.

From BBC

Related Words

• add to
• appreciate
• augment
• boost
• build up
• complement
• enlarge
• heighten
• increase
• intensify
• raise
• reinforce
• strengthen
• upgrade