flame·out
ˈflām-ˌau̇t 
1
: the unintentional cessation of operation of a jet airplane engine
2
: a sudden downfall, failure, or cessation
a flameout that cost the network millions
3
: a person whose successful career ends abruptly
He was a spectacular failure …, a flameout.—
Douglas S. Looney and Carlton Stowers
Douglas S. Looney and Carlton Stowers
flamed out; flaming out; flames out
: to fail spectacularly and especially prematurely
a promising career that flamed out
Examples of flameout in a Sentence
Noun
Fans were disappointed by the team's flameout in the play-offs.
before her sudden, self-inflicted flameout, she was one of the state's brightest political stars
Verb
even at the reception, some were predicting that the marriage would flame out before the fancy china ever got used
Recent Examples on the Web
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
After a playoff flameout, Minnesota could prove aggressive.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 June 2026
And then a surprising proportion of the early front-runners or near-front-runners in the primary—Katie Porter, Eric Swalwell—flamed out of favor for reasons of their own authorship.
—Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for flameout
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.
Noun
Frenchie's flameout was epic and hilarious, Derek X was astute and entertaining, and Claire easily could have been a serious contender on another season.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
After a playoff flameout, Minnesota could prove aggressive.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Verb
Nothing majorly dramatic happens, no one flames out in the kitchen, no dish is an absolute failure.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 June 2026
And then a surprising proportion of the early front-runners or near-front-runners in the primary—Katie Porter, Eric Swalwell—flamed out of favor for reasons of their own authorship.
—Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for flameout
Cite this Entry
“Flameout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flameout. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
