flame·out
ˈflām-ˌau̇t 
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
flamed out; flaming out; flames out
: 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
Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Come the postseason, they could be headed for another quick flameout.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Ben Morse, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
The team rolled with Wilson, who gave them a spark early but ultimately flamed out.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flameout
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Noun
He was heavily criticized for the Celtics' playoff flameout in 2023, but was largely revered for leading the team to a title the following season.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Come the postseason, they could be headed for another quick flameout.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
The sixth overall pick by the Giants in 2019 had flamed out in New York and spent the second half of last season as a back-up quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
The team rolled with Wilson, who gave them a spark early but ultimately flamed out.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flameout
Cite this Entry
“Flameout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flameout. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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