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
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Noun
Pryce Cahill was a major player on the tour earlier in his career before a personal tragedy led to his flameout. Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025 His playoff flameout against the Warriors might have sent a clear signal to the Rockets about the viability of building around him as a long-term fixture. Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
Verb
The Grizzlies won and eventually led the series, but flamed out. Alec Lewis, New York Times, 16 May 2025 That version was announced in 2023 but flamed out at some point. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flameout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flameout. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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