serve out
verb
served out; serving out; serves out
: to complete (a term in office, a prison sentence, etc.)
He was unable to serve out his five-year term as chairperson.
She was allowed to serve out her sentence in a prison close to home.
Examples of serve out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Their contest on Court Suzanne-Lenglen stretched to almost three hours after Potapova failed to serve out the match twice in the decider and Kalinskaya overturned a 4-1 deficit in the super tiebreak.
—
ABC News, 1 June 2026
That person will serve out the rest of Parady’s term through July 19, 2027.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 1 June 2026
In the second set, Gauff fell behind 5-1, with Potapova holding two chances to serve out the set.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 May 2026
In the final game, Djokovic had a break point for 6-6, but Fonseca served out with three consecutive aces and became the first teenager to beat Djokovic at a Grand Slam.
—Samuel Petrequin, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for serve out
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.
ABC News, 1 June 2026
That person will serve out the rest of Parady’s term through July 19, 2027.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 1 June 2026
In the second set, Gauff fell behind 5-1, with Potapova holding two chances to serve out the set.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 May 2026
In the final game, Djokovic had a break point for 6-6, but Fonseca served out with three consecutive aces and became the first teenager to beat Djokovic at a Grand Slam.
—Samuel Petrequin, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for serve out
Cite this Entry
“Serve out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serve%20out. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
