It’s a one letter difference, but sometimes that’s all it takes to make a cringe-worthy grammar mistake. But fear not, we’re here to not only give you an active voice, but an accurate one as well.
Flesh out: The phrase “flesh out” means to give something substance or make it nearly complete.
Example: I think you need to flesh out this story a bit more so your audience gets a better understanding.
Flush out: The phrase “flush out” is easier to remember. Think of flushing a toilet. It means to cause something to leave a hiding place. Maybe your toilet isn’t necessarily a hiding place, but you get the … um … picture.
Example: The cats surrounded the shed on one side in hopes to flush out the hundreds of mice hiding within.
—Sarah Muench