flameout

1 of 2

noun

flame·​out ˈflām-ˌau̇t How to pronounce flameout (audio)
1
: the unintentional cessation of operation of a jet airplane engine
2
: a sudden downfall, failure, or cessation
3
: a person whose successful career ends abruptly

flame out

2 of 2

verb

flamed out; flaming out; flames out

intransitive verb

: to fail spectacularly and especially prematurely

Examples of flameout in a Sentence

Noun Fans were disappointed by the team's flameout in the play-offs. before her sudden, self-inflicted flameout, she was one of the state's brightest political stars Verb even at the reception, some were predicting that the marriage would flame out before the fancy china ever got used
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Bickerstaff guided the Cavs back to the playoffs last year — All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell’s arrival in a trade helped — for the first time since 2018, but a first-round flameout against the Knicks raised questions about his future. Tom Withers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2024 On deck: Las Vegas Raiders, Hard Rock Stadium, Sunday, 1 p.m. The Dolphins get what should be their easiest matchup on paper thus far, against an awful Raiders (2-7) team that benched Gardner Minshew in favor of former Falcons flameout Desmond Ridder. Steve Svekis, Sun Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2024
Verb
Blumhouse and Miramax were badly bruised when The Exorcist: Believer flamed out in October 2023 and killed hopes for a trilogy. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2024 The Arizona Diamondbacks' postseason hopes flame out in loss to Atlanta Braves, capping a historic collapse. Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for flameout 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flameout was in 1950

Dictionary Entries Near flameout

Cite this Entry

“Flameout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flameout. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!