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

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.

If the appointee wins, that person will continue serving out the rest of the term. —

Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024 Cedillo served out the remainder of his term, having already lost reelection. —

David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024 Capone moved again in 1939—this time to a mental hospital to serve out the remainder of his sentence before retiring to Florida. —

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 See all Example Sentences for serve out