zero out
phrasal verb
zeroed out; zeroing out; zeroes out
US
1
: to reduce the amount of (something) to zero
Be sure to zero out the account before you switch banks.
2
: 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
Four of Indiana's smaller stations will lose at least half their revenue after Congress approved a $1.1 billion spending cut last week and the state zeroed out its funding earlier this year.
—
Cate Charron, IndyStar, 24 July 2025
The city of Chicago’s checking account has been zeroed out and no one in City Hall is willing to take responsibility.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 July 2025
Ask yourself: When June’s budget zeroes out, what’s left of your LGBTQ+ marketing commitment - and will that investment still be visible come December?
—Gillian Oakenfull, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
That usually rules out new policy prescriptions, though lawmakers in both parties try to find clever ways to squeeze them in; the 2017 tax bill effectively killed Obamacare’s individual mandate by zeroing out its tax penalty.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for zero out
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Cate Charron, IndyStar, 24 July 2025
The city of Chicago’s checking account has been zeroed out and no one in City Hall is willing to take responsibility.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 July 2025
Ask yourself: When June’s budget zeroes out, what’s left of your LGBTQ+ marketing commitment - and will that investment still be visible come December?
—Gillian Oakenfull, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
That usually rules out new policy prescriptions, though lawmakers in both parties try to find clever ways to squeeze them in; the 2017 tax bill effectively killed Obamacare’s individual mandate by zeroing out its tax penalty.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for zero out
Cite this Entry
“Zero out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zero%20out. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.
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