as in fails
to be unsuccessful
even at the reception, some were predicting that the marriage would flame out before the fancy china ever got used
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Recent Examples of flames out
Firefighters instead used heavy equipment to cover it with dirt to put the flames out.
—
Brandon Downs, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Our dream of going back to the moon and onto Mars and more distant worlds—not least to ensure our species’ survival before the sun flames out and engulfs most of the solar system—can be seen as just one more step in evolution’s long march.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
Brandon Downs, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Our dream of going back to the moon and onto Mars and more distant worlds—not least to ensure our species’ survival before the sun flames out and engulfs most of the solar system—can be seen as just one more step in evolution’s long march.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flames out
Verb
-
Year after year, Congress fails to impose discipline.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Such language fails to reflect the respect owed to the Successor of Peter and does not serve the common good.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
-
At the elementary level, the figure collapses to 11%.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fortunately for shareholders, the stock grants come with a feature similar to equity options that somewhat reduces Musk’s payday, especially in a case like the one above where the plan flops.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
29 Nov. 2025
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Amina blows her mom a kiss and then flops down in her crib, pretending to be asleep.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Why the quest will fall short And finally Shohei Ohtani hits three homers and strikes out 10 in Game 4 of the 2025 NLCS.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
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Perfect Tom strikes out once again, not on the look but on the flavors.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The folding lock design, such as the Kryptonite Kryptolok Folding Bicycle Lock, folds down to a small size for transport.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
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It's built around a Murphy bed that folds away against the driver's sidewall during the day and drops down at night to sleep two people on a platform measuring a full 80 inches (203 cm) long.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The United States bombs Iran's nuclear facilities days later.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
1 Mar. 2026
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Page Six gets a Hollywood edition Papps declined last week to reveal what stories his reporters were chasing and what bombs the political columnists will throw in its first editions.—
Christopher Weber,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Imanaga got 26 swing and misses from the Phillies lineup, the most by a pitcher in an MLB game this year.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
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Abandonment can happen when an applicant misses an appointment or filing deadline, fails to provide ample documentation supporting their claim or simply leaves the country before their claim is processed, among other things.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bailey struggles in run defending, and his style of play is a lot like current Jet Will McDonald IV.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
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The Nuggets will win the offensive boards, and even if Christian Braun struggles from 3 when dared to shoot, Minnesota will have no answer for Nikola Jokic.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flames out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flames%20out. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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