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
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
The latest flameout came Sunday when the Colorado Avalanche rode two goals from Nathan MacKinnon and goals from Cale Makar, Nicolas Roy and Devon Toews to a 5-1 win and a four-game sweep of the best-of-seven series.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026
Beijing is working to engineer China’s technological and industrial dominance, backing Russia in a destabilizing war in Europe, and generally setting the stage to achieve global supremacy when the United States flames out.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for flameout
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Noun
Set in the late 1980s, the film follows 13-year-old Felice (an exceptional Tiziano Menichelli), a budding tennis star whose overbearing father hooks him up with Raul Getti (Favino), a flameout former pro with a new lithium prescription and a serious ladies-man streak.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
The latest flameout came Sunday when the Colorado Avalanche rode two goals from Nathan MacKinnon and goals from Cale Makar, Nicolas Roy and Devon Toews to a 5-1 win and a four-game sweep of the best-of-seven series.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
And maybe Kiffin wins huge at LSU while Sumrall flames out in three years.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026
Beijing is working to engineer China’s technological and industrial dominance, backing Russia in a destabilizing war in Europe, and generally setting the stage to achieve global supremacy when the United States flames out.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 15 May 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 20 May. 2026.
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