# flush

/ˈfɫəʃ/ (US) · /flˈʌʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/flush
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to clean with water

verb · CEFR A2

to clean a toilet or a pipe by sending a large amount of water through it.

For teachers: to cleanse or empty a space, especially a toilet or plumbing system, by a sudden rush of water.

- Don't forget to flush the toilet after you use it.
- The plumber had to flush the entire heating system to remove the buildup of rust and debris from the old pipes.

### 2. to turn red

verb · CEFR B1

to become red in the face because you are embarrassed, angry, or hot.

For teachers: to become suffused with blood in the face, typically as a physiological response to emotion or temperature.

- She felt her cheeks flush when the teacher called her name in front of the class.
- He began to flush with anger as the witness continued to contradict the evidence presented earlier in the trial.

### 3. to force out of hiding

verb · CEFR B2

to force a person or animal to leave a hiding place.

For teachers: to cause a person or animal to leave a place of concealment or cover.

- The dogs were used to flush the birds out of the tall grass.
- The investigators hoped that the new evidence would flush the suspect out of hiding before he could flee the country.

### 4. to clear data

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to clear temporary data from a computer's memory.

For teachers: to clear a buffer or cache of its contents, often by writing the data to a more permanent storage location.

- You might need to flush your browser cache to see the changes on the website.
- The system is designed to flush the write buffer to the disk every few seconds to prevent data loss during a power failure.

### 5. a red glow

noun · CEFR B2

a red colour that appears on your skin.

For teachers: a reddening of the face or skin, caused by a rush of blood.

- A slight flush appeared on his face when she complimented his work.
- The fever left a deep flush on the child's cheeks, despite her hands feeling quite cold to the touch.

### 6. cards of the same suit

noun · CEFR B2

a set of cards in a game that are all the same type, like all hearts.

For teachers: a hand of cards all of the same suit.

- He won the poker game because he had a royal flush.
- She realised too late that her opponent was likely holding a flush, given the way he had been betting since the turn.

### 7. level or even

adjective · CEFR B2

being at the same level as another surface so that it is smooth.

For teachers: aligned or even with an adjacent surface; forming a continuous plane.

- Make sure the cupboard door is flush with the wall.
- The carpenter spent hours ensuring the new floorboards were perfectly flush with the existing threshold to avoid a tripping hazard.

### 8. having plenty of money

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal

having a lot of money, usually for a short time.

For teachers: having a large amount of money; affluent or well-supplied.

- I've just been paid, so I'm feeling quite flush this weekend.
- After winning the lottery, they were suddenly flush with cash and began planning an expensive trip around the world.

## Examples

- He pressed the handle to give the toilet a strong flush.
- A sudden flush of embarrassment spread across her cheeks when she realized she was in the wrong room.
- The system requires a regular flush with clean water to prevent the accumulation of sediment and chemical residues that could eventually corrode the internal valves.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.