peter out
phrasal verb
petered out; petering out; peters out
informal
: to gradually become smaller, weaker, or less before stopping or ending
Their romantic relationship petered out after the summer.
Interest in the sport is beginning to peter out.
Examples of peter out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Stocks climbed, only to see the rally peter out in May.
—
Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2024
Helene was forecast to peter out over the Tennessee Valley Friday and Saturday.
—Peter Weber, theweek, 27 Sep. 2024
The gold in the ground was already beginning to peter out when the orange fruit rose on the Pacific horizon — a gleaming, glowing citrus sun, a stand-in for the sun itself on fruit crate labels, tourist guides, postcards.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
But still, some residents cling to the safety of the familiar even as the explosions get closer and louder, and municipal services like trash collection peter out.
—Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for peter out 
Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2024
Helene was forecast to peter out over the Tennessee Valley Friday and Saturday.
—Peter Weber, theweek, 27 Sep. 2024
The gold in the ground was already beginning to peter out when the orange fruit rose on the Pacific horizon — a gleaming, glowing citrus sun, a stand-in for the sun itself on fruit crate labels, tourist guides, postcards.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
But still, some residents cling to the safety of the familiar even as the explosions get closer and louder, and municipal services like trash collection peter out.
—Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for peter out
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'peter out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Peter out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peter%20out. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.
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