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
flamed out; flaming out; flames out
: 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
Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss, Harvard Business Review, 7 Mar. 2025
The risk is a first-round flameout and all sorts of uncertainty moving forward.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2025
Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Fortunately for the Eagles, no other NFL team wanted him, and a year later, when Kelly flamed out, Roseman returned to power.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flameout
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Noun
Discussions of quality problems at Boeing or the collapse of FTX or even Quibi’s dramatic flameout often zero in on speed: Things were moving too fast for anyone to see the obvious flaws in leadership or culture or business model.
—Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss, Harvard Business Review, 7 Mar. 2025
The risk is a first-round flameout and all sorts of uncertainty moving forward.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
However, Springs turned into a solid starter for the Rays -- 2.46 ERA in 135 1/3 innings in 2022 -- whereas Hernandez flamed out after a few underwhelming seasons in Boston's system and never played in a big league game.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Fortunately for the Eagles, no other NFL team wanted him, and a year later, when Kelly flamed out, Roseman returned to power.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flameout
Cite this Entry
“Flameout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flameout. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
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