as in collapsing
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 flaming out
Swinging a big trade can be the difference in a team winning a championship or flaming out early in the playoffs.
—
Mike Barner, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Jack Harper, back working in his hometown after flaming out elsewhere, living as the responsible adult with an adorable little niece and her depressed, alcoholic mother, Zoe (Marin Ireland).
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
After the first two films, the series switched hands to seasoned parody veterans David Zucker and Pat Proft before flaming out with the fifth entry in 2013.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
The left side of their line is a huge question mark between tackle and guard, where Kingsley Suamataia might settle after flaming out at tackle.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Mike Barner, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Jack Harper, back working in his hometown after flaming out elsewhere, living as the responsible adult with an adorable little niece and her depressed, alcoholic mother, Zoe (Marin Ireland).
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
After the first two films, the series switched hands to seasoned parody veterans David Zucker and Pat Proft before flaming out with the fifth entry in 2013.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
The left side of their line is a huge question mark between tackle and guard, where Kingsley Suamataia might settle after flaming out at tackle.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flaming out
Verb
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Nothing says happy Valentine’s Day like a collapsing birth rate.—
Kate Andrews,
Washington Post,
13 Feb. 2026
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The couple saw major flood damage during the same set of storms, with a wall collapsing and the house later condemned by the city.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The incident came to light after two DEA whistleblowers accused the agency of failing to address the allegations involving corruption in its Haiti operations.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2026
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As a result, the plaintiffs argued, the administration also violated the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 by failing to consider the harmful environmental impacts of the project.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Given the first of what figures to be many starts on Sunday, Volantis allowed one unearned run in seven innings of work against UC Davis, striking out eight and giving up one hit in a 9-1 Texas win at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
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The Tigers’ original RSN deal was worth more than $50 million per year, but the team likely faces a 25-50% reduction in TV money by moving to the league’s broadcast portfolio or striking out on its own.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Waterfield's extra point was deflected, flopping low toward the uprights.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
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By a standard box-office calculus, such a low- to mid-seven-figure debut for a nonfiction film with $75 million in negative costs means Melania has little to no chance of avoiding flopping theatrically.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Roll up as tight as possible, starting at lower edge, folding over ends (to tuck in contents) halfway through rolling up tortilla.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
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The city of Paramount was incorporated in 1958 by folding together a pair of renowned dairy and hay communities named Hynes and Clearwater.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The ad, which centers on a fictional family scouring their community for their missing dog, demonstrates how the Search Party feature activates neighboring Ring home cameras to be used in the search.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
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Young Heathcliff is missing a tooth, so when Heathcliff returns, Miller worked with prosthetic dental appliance creator Chris Lyons from Fangs Effects in the UK to fill the gap.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Tiny water droplets can scatter light, washing out the vivid reds and oranges.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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That's it—no waiting and washing out required.—
Kaitlin Clapinski,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Know More Apple’s leadership once thought Apple News could be an antidote to bad information online, and serve as a lifeline for a struggling news industry displaced by powerful tech platforms.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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The University of Houston poll shows Abbott's preferred candidates struggling with Republican primary voters.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flaming out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flaming%20out. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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