flameout

1 of 2

noun

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

flame out

2 of 2

verb

flamed out; flaming out; flames out

intransitive verb

: to fail spectacularly and especially prematurely

Synonyms

Noun

• demise
• downfall
• down
• setback

Verb

• fail
• collapse
• flop
• strike out
• fold
• miss
• fall short
• struggle
• bomb
• wash out
• tank
• lay an egg
• come to grief

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

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

Contestants who lean too hard into clout often flame out. —Amanda Marcovitch, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

The left side of their line is a huge question mark between tackle and guard, where Kingsley Suamataia might settle after flaming out at tackle. —James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1951, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for flameout

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout