zero out

phrasal verb

zeroed out; zeroing out; zeroes out

: to reduce the amount of (something) to zero

Be sure to zero out the account before you switch banks.

: to remove (something) completely

This program will be zeroed out in the budget for next year.

New legislation will zero out further funding for the project.

Examples of zero out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Congress is on track to pass zero out of 12 appropriations bills to fund the government by the Oct. 1 deadline. —

Stef W. Kight, Axios, 18 Sep. 2024 When the Obama administration implemented similar sanctions in the 2012–15 period, many countries zeroed out their imports, but others gradually reduced purchases over time, based on oil supply projections. —

Andrew Miller, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2018 To meet international climate change targets of limiting warming to less than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit this century, greenhouse gas emissions have to fall at a much faster clip and effectively zero out by 2050. —

Umair Irfan, Vox, 20 Sep. 2024 The big money is in zeroing out and drawing down carbon pollution. —

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, TIME, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for zero out

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