fizzle

1 of 2

verb

fiz·​zle ˈfi-zəl How to pronounce fizzle (audio)
fizzled; fizzling ˈfi-zə-liŋ How to pronounce fizzle (audio)
ˈfiz-liŋ

intransitive verb

1
: fizz
2
: to fail or end feebly especially after a promising start
often used with out

fizzle

2 of 2

noun

: an abortive effort : failure

Examples of fizzle in a Sentence

Verb oozing gobs of grease, a pair of fatty burgers fizzled on the grill Noun the home team's unexpected fizzle in that last game cost them the championship the play was a fizzle, opening and closing the same night
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Another attempt in 2019 fizzled after a fight with the city of Boise and heirs to the Albertson family, who argued that the buildings would block the view from their homes on the rim of the Boise Bench. Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 2 Apr. 2024 The campaign fizzled out as young Iowans continued to seek bright lights elsewhere after college, part of a perennial brain drain still facing this and other Midwestern states. Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2024 After a years-long legal battle that garnered national attention, Berkeley’s natural gas ban has fizzled out. Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024 Image Reddit’s performance signaled that the public markets have an appetite for more tech offerings after public listings fizzled amid rising interest rates and economic uncertainty. Lauren Hirsch, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024 The ability to continually poke one person back and forth often led to poke wars that, eventually, fizzled out as the function itself faded into obscurity. Angela Yang, NBC News, 21 Mar. 2024 Experts say these solar flares, however, are probably not the reason why cellular service fizzled. John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 22 Feb. 2024 While the older Mesa has fizzled out as a prospect and is not expected to report to minor league spring training, the younger Mesa -- who received $1 million from the Marlins in 2018 -- has raised his stock. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2024 The relationship seemed to fizzle by the end of the summer, though, as DiCaprio was spotted with model Vittoria Ceretti in late August. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 17 Mar. 2024
Noun
And just about everyone seemed to have a theory for the fizzle. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 If Copilot fizzles or is deemphasized the way Cortana was, the Copilot key could become a way to quickly date a Windows PC from the mid-2020s, the way that changes to the Windows logo date keyboards from earlier eras. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 4 Jan. 2024 The fizzle at the finish line guarantees that Congress will be ensnarled in policy and fiscal battles as lawmakers fight for control of the House and the Senate in November’s elections. Carl Hulse, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023 There’s even merch in the works — and a rush to get it on shelves ASAP in case their love story fizzles quickly. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 28 Sep. 2023 Its initial box-office fizzle was a disappointment, indicative of American audiences’ resistance to Latino stories, yet the film has endured as a touchstone for many Mexican-American viewers. Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 Oct. 2023 Despite the fizzle in Instacart’s shares since the debut, the offering was popular. Ryan Vlastelica, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2023 Advertisement The Senate trial, which promises to be one of the biggest political spectacles in Texas history, will determine not only whether Paxton will be allowed to serve out his term, but whether the movement against Republicans who voted to impeach him expands or fizzles. Gromer Jeffers Jr., Dallas News, 31 July 2023 Speaking of fizzles, this is not the first heyday of artificial intelligence, this is perhaps the second heyday. IEEE Spectrum, 7 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fizzle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

perhaps alteration of fist to break wind

First Known Use

Verb

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fizzle was in 1840

Dictionary Entries Near fizzle

Cite this Entry

“Fizzle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fizzle. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

fizzle

verb
fiz·​zle
ˈfiz-əl
fizzled; fizzling
-(ə-)liŋ
: to fail after a good start
often used with out
fizzle noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fizzle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!