diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4472627de..3dcdf1fec 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -102,28 +102,26 @@ A low level streaming interface (similar to informers) that presents `Applied`,
 
 ```rust
 let api = Api::<Pod>::namespaced(client, "default");
-let watcher = watcher(api, ListParams::default());
+let mut stream = watcher(api, ListParams::default()).applied_objects();
 ```
 
 This now gives a continual stream of events and you do not need to care about the watch having to restart, or connections dropping.
 
 ```rust
-let mut apply_events = try_flatten_applied(watcher).boxed_local();
-while let Some(event) = apply_events.try_next().await? {
+while let Some(event) = stream.try_next().await? {
     println!("Applied: {}", event.name());
 }
 ```
 
-NB: the plain stream items a `watcher` returns are different from `WatchEvent`. If you are following along to "see what changed", you should flatten it with one of the utilities like `try_flatten_applied` or `try_flatten_touched`.
+NB: the plain items in a `watcher` stream are different from `WatchEvent`. If you are following along to "see what changed", you should flatten it with one of the utilities from `WatchStreamExt`, such as `applied_objects`.
 
 ## Reflectors
 
 A `reflector` is a `watcher` with `Store` on `K`. It acts on all the `Event<K>` exposed by `watcher` to ensure that the state in the `Store` is as accurate as possible.
 
 ```rust
-let nodes: Api<Node> = Api::namespaced(client, &namespace);
-let lp = ListParams::default()
-    .labels("beta.kubernetes.io/instance-type=m4.2xlarge");
+let nodes: Api<Node> = Api::default_namespaced(client);
+let lp = ListParams::default().labels("kubernetes.io/arch=amd64");
 let store = reflector::store::Writer::<Node>::default();
 let reader = store.as_reader();
 let rf = reflector(store, watcher(nodes, lp));
diff --git a/examples/configmap_reflector.rs b/examples/configmap_reflector.rs
index b00c9a66e..fbf852cb1 100644
--- a/examples/configmap_reflector.rs
+++ b/examples/configmap_reflector.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     spawn_periodic_reader(reader); // read from a reader in the background
 
-    let mut applied_events = rf.watch_applies().boxed_local();
+    let mut applied_events = rf.applied_objects().boxed_local();
     while let Some(event) = applied_events.try_next().await? {
         info!("saw {}", event.name())
     }
diff --git a/examples/crd_reflector.rs b/examples/crd_reflector.rs
index e89727bf2..072f79d38 100644
--- a/examples/crd_reflector.rs
+++ b/examples/crd_reflector.rs
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
             info!("Current crds: {:?}", crds);
         }
     });
-    let mut rfa = rf.watch_applies().boxed();
+    let mut rfa = rf.applied_objects().boxed();
     while let Some(event) = rfa.try_next().await? {
         info!("saw {}", event.name());
     }
diff --git a/examples/dynamic_watcher.rs b/examples/dynamic_watcher.rs
index 3fb493eb5..130cb2157 100644
--- a/examples/dynamic_watcher.rs
+++ b/examples/dynamic_watcher.rs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let api = Api::<DynamicObject>::all_with(client, &ar);
 
     // Fully compatible with kube-runtime
-    let mut items = watcher(api, ListParams::default()).watch_applies().boxed();
+    let mut items = watcher(api, ListParams::default()).applied_objects().boxed();
     while let Some(p) = items.try_next().await? {
         if caps.scope == Scope::Cluster {
             info!("saw {}", p.name());
diff --git a/examples/event_watcher.rs b/examples/event_watcher.rs
index 57714abed..18e037cba 100644
--- a/examples/event_watcher.rs
+++ b/examples/event_watcher.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let events: Api<Event> = Api::all(client);
     let lp = ListParams::default();
 
-    let ew = watcher(events, lp).watch_applies();
+    let ew = watcher(events, lp).applied_objects();
 
     pin_mut!(ew);
     while let Some(event) = ew.try_next().await? {
diff --git a/examples/kubectl.rs b/examples/kubectl.rs
index be2ac077b..2af7a6ac1 100644
--- a/examples/kubectl.rs
+++ b/examples/kubectl.rs
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ impl App {
             lp = lp.fields(&format!("metadata.name={}", n));
         }
         // present a dumb table for it for now. kubectl does not do this anymore.
-        let mut stream = watcher(api, lp).watch_applies().boxed();
+        let mut stream = watcher(api, lp).applied_objects().boxed();
         println!("{0:<width$} {1:<20}", "NAME", "AGE", width = 63);
         while let Some(inst) = stream.try_next().await? {
             let age = format_creation_since(inst.creation_timestamp());
diff --git a/examples/multi_watcher.rs b/examples/multi_watcher.rs
index f5cb33679..8ce017052 100644
--- a/examples/multi_watcher.rs
+++ b/examples/multi_watcher.rs
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     // select on applied events from all watchers
     let mut combo_stream = stream::select_all(vec![
-        dep_watcher.watch_applies().map_ok(Watched::Deploy).boxed(),
-        cm_watcher.watch_applies().map_ok(Watched::Config).boxed(),
-        sec_watcher.watch_applies().map_ok(Watched::Secret).boxed(),
+        dep_watcher.applied_objects().map_ok(Watched::Deploy).boxed(),
+        cm_watcher.applied_objects().map_ok(Watched::Config).boxed(),
+        sec_watcher.applied_objects().map_ok(Watched::Secret).boxed(),
     ]);
     // SelectAll Stream elements must have the same Item, so all packed in this:
     #[allow(clippy::large_enum_variant)]
diff --git a/examples/node_reflector.rs b/examples/node_reflector.rs
index 21fa4b850..2822e19a8 100644
--- a/examples/node_reflector.rs
+++ b/examples/node_reflector.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     });
 
     // Drain and log applied events from the reflector
-    let mut rfa = rf.watch_applies().boxed();
+    let mut rfa = rf.applied_objects().boxed();
     while let Some(event) = rfa.try_next().await? {
         info!("saw {}", event.name());
     }
diff --git a/examples/node_watcher.rs b/examples/node_watcher.rs
index 10e25be8c..971e127aa 100644
--- a/examples/node_watcher.rs
+++ b/examples/node_watcher.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let lp = ListParams::default().labels("beta.kubernetes.io/arch=amd64");
     let obs = watcher(nodes, lp)
         .backoff(ExponentialBackoff::default())
-        .watch_applies();
+        .applied_objects();
 
     pin_mut!(obs);
     while let Some(n) = obs.try_next().await? {
diff --git a/examples/pod_watcher.rs b/examples/pod_watcher.rs
index a5023690b..d47c17dfe 100644
--- a/examples/pod_watcher.rs
+++ b/examples/pod_watcher.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let api = Api::<Pod>::default_namespaced(client);
 
     watcher(api, ListParams::default())
-        .watch_applies()
+        .applied_objects()
         .try_for_each(|p| async move {
             info!("saw {}", p.name());
             if let Some(unready_reason) = pod_unready(&p) {
diff --git a/examples/secret_reflector.rs b/examples/secret_reflector.rs
index 13039c6fa..9ebd16482 100644
--- a/examples/secret_reflector.rs
+++ b/examples/secret_reflector.rs
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let rf = reflector(store, watcher(secrets, lp));
     spawn_periodic_reader(reader); // read from a reader in the background
 
-    rf.watch_applies()
+    rf.applied_objects()
         .try_for_each(|s| async move {
             info!("saw: {}", s.name());
             Ok(())
diff --git a/kube-runtime/src/controller/mod.rs b/kube-runtime/src/controller/mod.rs
index 995a0077e..176c68d4f 100644
--- a/kube-runtime/src/controller/mod.rs
+++ b/kube-runtime/src/controller/mod.rs
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ where
         let reader = writer.as_reader();
         let mut trigger_selector = stream::SelectAll::new();
         let self_watcher = trigger_self(
-            reflector(writer, watcher(owned_api, lp)).watch_applies(),
+            reflector(writer, watcher(owned_api, lp)).applied_objects(),
             dyntype.clone(),
         )
         .boxed();
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ where
     where
         Child::DynamicType: Debug + Eq + Hash + Clone,
     {
-        let child_watcher = trigger_owners(watcher(api, lp).watch_touches(), self.dyntype.clone(), dyntype);
+        let child_watcher = trigger_owners(watcher(api, lp).touched_objects(), self.dyntype.clone(), dyntype);
         self.trigger_selector.push(child_watcher.boxed());
         self
     }
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ where
         I::IntoIter: Send,
         Other::DynamicType: Clone,
     {
-        let other_watcher = trigger_with(watcher(api, lp).watch_touches(), move |obj| {
+        let other_watcher = trigger_with(watcher(api, lp).touched_objects(), move |obj| {
             let watched_obj_ref = ObjectRef::from_obj_with(&obj, dyntype.clone()).erase();
             mapper(obj)
                 .into_iter()
diff --git a/kube-runtime/src/utils/event_flatten.rs b/kube-runtime/src/utils/event_flatten.rs
index 51914c90c..b4834662b 100644
--- a/kube-runtime/src/utils/event_flatten.rs
+++ b/kube-runtime/src/utils/event_flatten.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use futures::{ready, Stream, TryStream};
 use pin_project::pin_project;
 
 #[pin_project]
-/// Stream returned by the [`watch_applies`](super::WatchStreamExt::watch_applies) and [`watch_touches`](super::WatchStreamExt::watch_touches) method.
+/// Stream returned by the [`applied_objects`](super::WatchStreamExt::applied_objects) and [`touched_objects`](super::WatchStreamExt::touched_objects) method.
 #[must_use = "streams do nothing unless polled"]
 pub struct EventFlatten<St, K> {
     #[pin]
diff --git a/kube-runtime/src/utils/mod.rs b/kube-runtime/src/utils/mod.rs
index 5c3e52a3a..ff0bf03a0 100644
--- a/kube-runtime/src/utils/mod.rs
+++ b/kube-runtime/src/utils/mod.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ mod stream_backoff;
 mod watch_ext;
 
 pub use backoff_reset_timer::ResetTimerBackoff;
+pub use event_flatten::EventFlatten;
 pub use stream_backoff::StreamBackoff;
 pub use watch_ext::WatchStreamExt;
 
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ use tokio::{runtime::Handle, task::JoinHandle};
 /// Flattens each item in the list following the rules of [`watcher::Event::into_iter_applied`].
 #[deprecated(
     since = "0.72.0",
-    note = "fn replaced with the WatchStreamExt::watch_applies which can be chained onto watcher. Add `use kube::runtime::WatchStreamExt;` and call `stream.watch_applies()` instead. This function will be removed in 0.75.0."
+    note = "fn replaced with the WatchStreamExt::applied_objects which can be chained onto watcher. Add `use kube::runtime::WatchStreamExt;` and call `stream.applied_objects()` instead. This function will be removed in 0.75.0."
 )]
 pub fn try_flatten_applied<K, S: TryStream<Ok = watcher::Event<K>>>(
     stream: S,
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ pub fn try_flatten_applied<K, S: TryStream<Ok = watcher::Event<K>>>(
 /// Flattens each item in the list following the rules of [`watcher::Event::into_iter_touched`].
 #[deprecated(
     since = "0.72.0",
-    note = "fn replaced with the WatchStreamExt::watch_touches which can be chained onto watcher. Add `use kube::runtime::WatchStreamExt;` and call `stream.watch_touches()` instead. This function will be removed in 0.75.0."
+    note = "fn replaced with the WatchStreamExt::touched_objects which can be chained onto watcher. Add `use kube::runtime::WatchStreamExt;` and call `stream.touched_objects()` instead. This function will be removed in 0.75.0."
 )]
 pub fn try_flatten_touched<K, S: TryStream<Ok = watcher::Event<K>>>(
     stream: S,
diff --git a/kube-runtime/src/utils/watch_ext.rs b/kube-runtime/src/utils/watch_ext.rs
index 4a43f33fc..54a6d45bc 100644
--- a/kube-runtime/src/utils/watch_ext.rs
+++ b/kube-runtime/src/utils/watch_ext.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use backoff::backoff::Backoff;
 
 use futures::{Stream, TryStream};
 
-/// Extension trait for streams returned by [`watcher`] or [`reflector`]
+/// Extension trait for streams returned by [`watcher`](watcher()) or [`reflector`](crate::reflector::reflector)
 pub trait WatchStreamExt: Stream {
     /// Apply a [`Backoff`] policy to a [`Stream`] using [`StreamBackoff`]
     fn backoff<B>(self, b: B) -> StreamBackoff<Self, B>
@@ -17,22 +17,20 @@ pub trait WatchStreamExt: Stream {
         StreamBackoff::new(self, b)
     }
 
-    /// Flatten a [`watcher`] stream into a stream of applied objects
+    /// Flatten a [`watcher()`] stream into a stream of applied objects
     ///
     /// All Added/Modified events are passed through, and critical errors bubble up.
-    /// This is functionally equivalent to calling [`try_flatten_applied`] on a [`watcher`].
-    fn watch_applies<K>(self) -> EventFlatten<Self, K>
+    fn applied_objects<K>(self) -> EventFlatten<Self, K>
     where
         Self: Stream<Item = Result<watcher::Event<K>, watcher::Error>> + Sized,
     {
         EventFlatten::new(self, false)
     }
 
-    /// Flatten a [`watcher`] stream into a stream of touched objects
+    /// Flatten a [`watcher()`] stream into a stream of touched objects
     ///
     /// All Added/Modified/Deleted events are passed through, and critical errors bubble up.
-    /// This is functionally equivalent to calling [`try_flatten_touched`] on a [`watcher`].
-    fn watch_touches<K>(self) -> EventFlatten<Self, K>
+    fn touched_objects<K>(self) -> EventFlatten<Self, K>
     where
         Self: Stream<Item = Result<watcher::Event<K>, watcher::Error>> + Sized,
     {
diff --git a/kube-runtime/src/watcher.rs b/kube-runtime/src/watcher.rs
index 9b4e555ee..9abf81d06 100644
--- a/kube-runtime/src/watcher.rs
+++ b/kube-runtime/src/watcher.rs
@@ -191,13 +191,13 @@ async fn step<K: Resource + Clone + DeserializeOwned + Debug + Send + 'static>(
 /// [`try_for_each`](futures::TryStreamExt::try_for_each) and [`try_concat`](futures::TryStreamExt::try_concat))
 /// will terminate eagerly as soon as they receive an [`Err`].
 ///
-/// This is intended to provide a safe and atomic input interface for a state store like a [`reflector`],
-/// direct users may want to flatten composite events with [`try_flatten_applied`]:
+/// This is intended to provide a safe and atomic input interface for a state store like a [`reflector`].
+/// Direct users may want to flatten composite events via [`WatchStreamExt`]:
 ///
 /// ```no_run
 /// use kube::{
 ///   api::{Api, ListParams, ResourceExt}, Client,
-///   runtime::{utils::try_flatten_applied, watcher}
+///   runtime::{watcher, WatchStreamExt}
 /// };
 /// use k8s_openapi::api::core::v1::Pod;
 /// use futures::{StreamExt, TryStreamExt};
@@ -206,8 +206,7 @@ async fn step<K: Resource + Clone + DeserializeOwned + Debug + Send + 'static>(
 ///     let client = Client::try_default().await.unwrap();
 ///     let pods: Api<Pod> = Api::namespaced(client, "apps");
 ///
-///     let watcher = watcher(pods, ListParams::default());
-///     try_flatten_applied(watcher)
+///     watcher(pods, ListParams::default()).applied_objects()
 ///         .try_for_each(|p| async move {
 ///          println!("Applied: {}", p.name());
 ///             Ok(())
@@ -216,7 +215,7 @@ async fn step<K: Resource + Clone + DeserializeOwned + Debug + Send + 'static>(
 ///    Ok(())
 /// }
 /// ```
-/// [`try_flatten_applied`]: super::utils::try_flatten_applied
+/// [`WatchStreamExt`]: super::WatchStreamExt
 /// [`reflector`]: super::reflector::reflector
 /// [`Api::watch`]: kube_client::Api::watch
 ///
diff --git a/kube/src/lib.rs b/kube/src/lib.rs
index 31d3cc80b..faa3917f3 100644
--- a/kube/src/lib.rs
+++ b/kube/src/lib.rs
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 //!     api::{Api, DeleteParams, ListParams, PatchParams, Patch, ResourceExt},
 //!     core::CustomResourceExt,
 //!     Client, CustomResource,
-//!     runtime::{watcher, utils::try_flatten_applied, wait::{conditions, await_condition}},
+//!     runtime::{watcher, WatchStreamExt, wait::{conditions, await_condition}},
 //! };
 //!
 //! // Our custom resource
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
 //!     // Watch for changes to foos in the configured namespace
 //!     let foos: Api<Foo> = Api::default_namespaced(client.clone());
 //!     let lp = ListParams::default();
-//!     let mut apply_stream = try_flatten_applied(watcher(foos, lp)).boxed();
+//!     let mut apply_stream = watcher(foos, lp).applied_objects().boxed();
 //!     while let Some(f) = apply_stream.try_next().await? {
 //!         println!("saw apply to {}", f.name());
 //!     }