flameout

1 of 2

noun

flame·​out ˈflām-ˌau̇t 

1

: the unintentional cessation of operation of a jet airplane engine

2

: a sudden downfall, failure, or cessation

3

: a person whose successful career ends abruptly

flame out

2 of 2

verb

flamed out; flaming out; flames out

intransitive verb

: to fail spectacularly and especially prematurely

Synonyms

Noun

• comedown
• decline
• dégringolade
• demise
• descent
• down
• downfall
• fall
• Götterdämmerung

Verb

• bomb
• collapse
• crater
• fail
• flop
• flunk
• fold
• founder
• miss
• strike out
• tank
• wash 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

Noun

Machado’s resurgence When the Padres missed the playoffs following a second-half flameout last year, many fingers were pointed at Machado — the confident, but not always consistent, face of the franchise at third base. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024

Then there are the flameouts, like FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried, 32, now broke and serving a 25-year prison sentence for fraud and conspiracy. —Samantha Kroontje, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024

Verb

Teams that swung freely seemed to advance more often in the playoffs, while more disciplined clubs like the Dodgers tended to flame out. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024

Now, the Packers will turn to Willis, a 2022 third round draft pick who flamed out in Tennessee. —Rob Reischel, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1951, in the meaning defined above