flameout

1 of 2

noun

flame·​out ˈflām-ˌau̇t 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• comedown
• decline
• dégringolade
• demise
• descent
• down
• downfall
• fall
• Götterdämmerung

Verb

• bomb
• collapse
• crater
• fail
• flop
• flunk
• fold
• founder
• miss
• strike out
• tank
• wash out

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

Noun

The Great, Shrinking Fortune To be sure, there have been many family fortune flameouts. —Next Avenue, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

Next-gen film flameouts have long been a staple in the Hollywood ecosystem. —Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 19 Dec. 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

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1951, in the meaning defined above