conk out
phrasal verb
conked out; conking out; conks out
informal
1
of a machine
: to stop working properly
My car's engine conked out this morning.
2
: to fall asleep
I conked out on the sofa last night.
Examples of conk out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The vehicle suffered a number of problems on that flight; several of its 33 first-stage Raptor engines conked out early, for example, and its two stages — the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage — failed to separate as planned.
—
Mike Wall, Scientific American, 20 Nov. 2023
Besides, his fancy phone has mimicked its owner and conks out every now and again.
—Han Ong, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
If a race car conks out on the course, it’s retrieved by sturdy Land Rover tow trucks of the era.
—Bob Sorokanich, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2023
Oh, and the air conditioning in one of the agency’s buildings had conked out and needed to be fixed.
—Rachel Feintzeig, WSJ, 7 Aug. 2023
His buddy in the basketball jersey is in the back seat, conked out.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2023
Such is the bleak experience of some rare but unlucky New Yorkers in this especially steamy season: sweltering inside a subway car whose air conditioning has conked out.
—Lola Fadulu, New York Times, 16 July 2023
Maybe she’s just conked out asleep and forgot to text.
—Anne Lagamayo, Longreads, 11 May 2023
Look at just the most recent headlines: last week, on Marathon Monday, the T shut down service on part of the Green Line in the middle of one of the biggest sporting events of the year because a train conked out in a tunnel.
—Sean P. Murphy, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Apr. 2023
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Mike Wall, Scientific American, 20 Nov. 2023
Besides, his fancy phone has mimicked its owner and conks out every now and again.
—Han Ong, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
If a race car conks out on the course, it’s retrieved by sturdy Land Rover tow trucks of the era.
—Bob Sorokanich, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2023
Oh, and the air conditioning in one of the agency’s buildings had conked out and needed to be fixed.
—Rachel Feintzeig, WSJ, 7 Aug. 2023
His buddy in the basketball jersey is in the back seat, conked out.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2023
Such is the bleak experience of some rare but unlucky New Yorkers in this especially steamy season: sweltering inside a subway car whose air conditioning has conked out.
—Lola Fadulu, New York Times, 16 July 2023
Maybe she’s just conked out asleep and forgot to text.
—Anne Lagamayo, Longreads, 11 May 2023
Look at just the most recent headlines: last week, on Marathon Monday, the T shut down service on part of the Green Line in the middle of one of the biggest sporting events of the year because a train conked out in a tunnel.
—Sean P. Murphy, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conk 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
“Conk out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conk%20out. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on conk out
Nglish: Translation of conk out for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of conk out for Arabic Speakers
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