burning out

verb

present participle of burn out
as in wearing
to use up all the physical energy of working 12-hour days at that job just burned me out

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of burning out The candles are all different lengths, gradually burning out, and there’s no way of knowing how long each one is. — Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026 Ngy worked construction and fished in his free time, eventually burning out after too many layoffs and inconsistent work following the housing crash of 2008. — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 9 Sep. 2026 How do leaders unlock the efficiency gains of AI without burning out their teams? — Khadim Batti, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Daily Cardio Load indicates how much to push your workouts each day to make progress in training without burning out. — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026 The fire has destroyed 100 hectares of trees and was burning out of control but was not immediately threatening homes. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026 The Red Bull Showrun, a live high-speed motorsports demonstration, will feature Formula 1 cars burning out and doing donuts on a roughly half-mile stretch of Hank Aaron Drive. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 31 July 2026 Shifting and gusting winds, as well as arid conditions, complicated massive efforts to limit the spread of the monster blaze burning out of control since midweek in France’s Gironde region, where Bordeaux is located. — Mark Carlson, Fortune, 27 July 2026 North winds pushed the smoke from some 900 wildfires, including about 120 burning out of control in Canada, south and southeast into northern Illinois. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burning out
  1. wearing
  2. killing
  3. exhausting
  4. tiring
  5. knocking out
  6. wearing out
  7. washing out
  8. draining
Verb
  • Reinhart’s character, Olive Smith, is primarily seen wearing her lab coat, but outside of the laboratory, she is dressed in red, blue and green outfits.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
  • At the show, guests including Meadow Walker, Space Afrika and King Princess were spotted wearing a new collaborative Speedcat in all-black.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of wearing
Verb
  • In truly horrific news, a Frankfort mom is accused of killing her 2-year-old son after allegedly following the trial of Lindsay Clancy with great interest.
    — Hilary Gowins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Earlier this month, a fuel tanker crashed into other vehicles and exploded near the western city of Sanandaj, killing 11 people and injuring seven others.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of killing
Verb
  • Commanders should seek positional advantages without exhausting their soldiers, manipulate the enemy’s movements when possible, and recognize when circumstances make pursuit or attack unwise.
    — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The dispute has become even more complicated because some members of the 2022 class pursued professional opportunities after exhausting their eligibility under the previous system.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of exhausting
Verb
  • In the Los Angeles Times, Seema Mehta and Nicole Nixon report that Steyer’s ability to appear everywhere ended up tiring out voters.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 10 June 2026
  • Meanwhile, Shenzhen startup EngineAI can be forgiven for tiring out its PM01 humanoid.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 June 2026
Definition of tiring
Verb
  • Residents of coastal communities in the Northeast slogged through floodwaters for a second day as a powerful nor’easter pummeled the shoreline Sunday, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes.
    — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The southpaw then made a big statement knocking out former contender Dillian Whyte in the first round last year.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of knocking out
Verb
  • This is a sign that internal parts like your clutch or transmission bands are wearing out.
    — Michael Kurko, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Others share stories of donut tires wearing out quickly or making their vehicles feel unstable at highway speeds.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of wearing out
Verb
  • Many astronomers concluded that big black holes dotted the universe, washing out the light of the stars in their host galaxies.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The scalp scrubs that made our final list lathered well and did a good job of washing out fully, no matter the size of the exfoliating particles.
    — Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of washing out
Verb
  • One floor sink at the cook’s line was clogged and not draining due to oil and grease buildup.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • To set your lettuce up for success, plant it in an area with full sun and slightly acidic, well-draining soil.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of draining

Browse Nearby Words

burning one's ears
burning out
burning (up)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Burning out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burning%20out. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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