expire
verb
ex·pire
ik-ˈspī(-ə)r 
usually for intransitive sense 3 and transitive sense 2 ek-
expired; expiring
1
: to breathe one's last breath : die
2
: to come to an end: such as
a
: to exceed its period of validity
The contract will expire next month.
b
: to pass its expiration date (see expiration date sense 2)
This milk has expired.
" … when drugs expire, you can't just leave these things lying around."—
Ed Haislmaier
Ed Haislmaier3
: to emit the breath
Examples of expire in a Sentence
My driver's license has expired.
She expired after a long illness.
measuring the volume of air expired from the lungs
Recent Examples on the Web
Millions of dollars in federal funds were set to flow once again to the Hudson River Tunnel Thursday night, after a federal court order blocking the bucks expired.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2026
And now, the law allowing needle exchanges is set to expire.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 13 Feb. 2026
The dual-class structure is set to expire in October 2032—a year after Bhusri’s performance window closes in early 2031.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Additionally, two state-law negligence claims were tossed because they were filed after New York’s three-year statute of limitations had expired.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expire
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Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2026
And now, the law allowing needle exchanges is set to expire.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 13 Feb. 2026
The dual-class structure is set to expire in October 2032—a year after Bhusri’s performance window closes in early 2031.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Additionally, two state-law negligence claims were tossed because they were filed after New York’s three-year statute of limitations had expired.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expire
Cite this Entry
“Expire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expire. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expire
verb
ex·pire
ik-ˈspī(ə)r
usually for sense 3 ek-
expired; expiring
1
: to breathe one's last breath : die
2
: to come to an end : be no longer in force
this offer expires March 1
my driver's license has expired
3
a
: to let the breath out
b
: to breathe out from or as if from the lungs
Medical Definition
expire
verb
ex·pire
ik-ˈspī(ə)r, usually for vi 2 and vt ek-
expired; expiring
: to breathe out from or as if from the lungs
the basal metabolism test … measures the amount of carbon dioxide expired by the lungs—J. D. Ratcliff
J. D. RatcliffLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
