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gutter out

verb

guttered out; guttering out; gutters out

intransitive verb

1
: to become gradually weaker and then go out
the candle guttered out
2
: to end feebly or undramatically
his screen career had slowly guttered out

Examples of gutter out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The point of cleaning gutters out is to prevent buildup that can cause damage. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2025 One night as the war guttered out, while a wild party was held at the Darkenbloom castle, the starving workers were taken into the woods and shot by S.S. soldiers. James Wood, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025 An apparent trend toward dense urban living lit hopes in the world of land-use planners, but those hopes are guttering out. Dana Milbank, Washington Post, 10 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gutter out was in 1875

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Cite this Entry

“Gutter out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gutter%20out. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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