as in wearing
to use up all the physical energy of
working 12-hour days at that job just burned me out
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Recent Examples of burning out
The fire broke out for a short time before burning out by itself, police said, adding that no one was injured.
—
Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026
Families are aging, caregivers are burning out, and too many people are forced into crisis placements or inappropriate settings because suitable housing options simply do not exist.
—Fay Lenz, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
This approach is gaining traction across sales, partnerships, and customer success teams, where professionals face constant pressure to be responsive without burning out.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
Slowing down the rate at which heat left the bulb prevented the filament from burning out as quickly.
—Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
Layoff anxiety is driving side hustles, and some side hustlers are burning out trying to get a business off the ground or taking on too many side hustles.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Wildfires burning out of control in southern Chile have killed at least 15 people and forced more than 50,000 to evacuate, the government said Sunday.
—CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
Takeout used to be the pressure valve, the thing that kept us from burning out after returning from work, out of energy and willpower.
—Allyson Reedy, Denver Post, 14 Jan. 2026
Baker-Mazara played eight minutes, before burning out.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026
Families are aging, caregivers are burning out, and too many people are forced into crisis placements or inappropriate settings because suitable housing options simply do not exist.
—Fay Lenz, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026
This approach is gaining traction across sales, partnerships, and customer success teams, where professionals face constant pressure to be responsive without burning out.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
Slowing down the rate at which heat left the bulb prevented the filament from burning out as quickly.
—Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
Layoff anxiety is driving side hustles, and some side hustlers are burning out trying to get a business off the ground or taking on too many side hustles.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Wildfires burning out of control in southern Chile have killed at least 15 people and forced more than 50,000 to evacuate, the government said Sunday.
—CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
Takeout used to be the pressure valve, the thing that kept us from burning out after returning from work, out of energy and willpower.
—Allyson Reedy, Denver Post, 14 Jan. 2026
Baker-Mazara played eight minutes, before burning out.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burning out
Verb
-
Larsson looked like an angelfish in the light, wearing a flowy purple two-piece that bared her midriff, as the tabloids used to say.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
For the second time this spring, Holmes was photographed wearing a pair of cropped ankle jeans of the wide-leg variety.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But last year a single pack was responsible for killing about 100 calves in less than seven months in the high ranchland of Sierra County north of Truckee, costing ranchers and the state millions and terrifying residents.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Prosecutors, meanwhile, argue that Clancy carefully planned and plotted before allegedly killing her three children by sending her husband out of the house.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Both countries aim to counter cheap, high-volume threats without exhausting high-value interceptors.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Most people who reach out to Gahl do so after exhausting nearly every other option and cycling through multiple specialists and medical centers.—
Alexandra Sifferlin,
STAT,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This helps each step feel lighter and easier, diminishing fatigue and letting the wearer venture out farther without tiring.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Dec. 2025
-
This constant barrage overshadows the self-care experience, hijacking my focus and frankly, tiring me out.—
Caelan McMichael,
Allure,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Within minutes, a dark brew of sewage, industrial waste, and stormwater was rising through basements and businesses, hospitals and the central rail station, knocking out power and causing a billion dollars in damage.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Later in the decade, the Air Force deployed the more advanced BLU-114/B during the NATO bombing in the Balkans, knocking out more than 70% of Serbia’s national grid in a single night and plunging the country into darkness.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Around 80% or lower means the battery is wearing out.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Will the novelty of an MLB franchise hosting home games in California’s capital for the first time fade in the A’s second season, wearing out like the pitcher’s mound in the eighth inning?—
Michael McGough,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Andrew Tate is not washing out.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Tiny water droplets can scatter light, washing out the vivid reds and oranges.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While attacks are currently focused on financial fraud and draining the accounts of victims, InfoBlox says the level of access these trojans offer would allow expansion into extortion, blackmail, and corporate breaches including ransomware attacks on companies.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
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If root rot may be an issue, repot the plant in fresh soil, and make sure to use a well-draining pot that will keep the soil from becoming too soggy in the future.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burning out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burning%20out. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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