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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Yet to anoint it a contender for the pop flameout of the year and move on ignores the nagging trends that merged to form this Infinity Gauntlet of missteps. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024 Machado’s resurgence When the Padres missed the playoffs following a second-half flameout last year, many fingers were pointed at Machado — the confident, but not always consistent, face of the franchise at third base. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024
Verb
But unlike past Dodgers teams that flamed out in the playoffs, this year’s group never deterred, bonding together through clubhouse meetings and player-only bus rides and cross-country flights in which even their families weren’t allowed. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024 Teams that swung freely seemed to advance more often in the playoffs, while more disciplined clubs like the Dodgers tended to flame out. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 18 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 14 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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