serve out
phrasal verb
served out; serving out; serves out
: to complete (a term in office, a prison sentence, etc.)
He was unable to serve out his five-year term as chairperson.
She was allowed to serve out her sentence in a prison close to home.
Examples of serve out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Capone moved again in 1939—this time to a mental hospital to serve out the remainder of his sentence before retiring to Florida.
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Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
The candidates will appear on the ballot twice, for the six-year term representing California in the upper house of Congress through 2030, and separately to serve out the final weeks of the term left vacant by Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death in September 2023.
—Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 9 Oct. 2024
In August 2019, Oakland County commissioners appointed Coulter to serve out the remainder of former executive L. Brooks Patterson's term after Patterson died.
—Staff, Detroit Free Press, 21 Sep. 2024
Shortly after the incident, Suga — who is currently in the middle of serving out his mandatory service in the South Korean military — revealed that his license had been revoked.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for serve out 
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
The candidates will appear on the ballot twice, for the six-year term representing California in the upper house of Congress through 2030, and separately to serve out the final weeks of the term left vacant by Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death in September 2023.
—Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 9 Oct. 2024
In August 2019, Oakland County commissioners appointed Coulter to serve out the remainder of former executive L. Brooks Patterson's term after Patterson died.
—Staff, Detroit Free Press, 21 Sep. 2024
Shortly after the incident, Suga — who is currently in the middle of serving out his mandatory service in the South Korean military — revealed that his license had been revoked.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for serve out
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'serve out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Serve out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serve%20out. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
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