peter out

phrasal verb

petered out; petering out; peters out

informal

: to gradually become smaller, weaker, or less before stopping or ending

Their romantic relationship petered out after the summer.

Interest in the sport is beginning to peter out.

Examples of peter out in a Sentence

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.

Stocks climbed, only to see the rally peter out in May. —

Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2024 Helene was forecast to peter out over the Tennessee Valley Friday and Saturday. —

Peter Weber, theweek, 27 Sep. 2024 The gold in the ground was already beginning to peter out when the orange fruit rose on the Pacific horizon — a gleaming, glowing citrus sun, a stand-in for the sun itself on fruit crate labels, tourist guides, postcards. —

Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024 But still, some residents cling to the safety of the familiar even as the explosions get closer and louder, and municipal services like trash collection peter out. —

Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for peter out