flames out

verb

present tense third-person singular of flame out
as in fails
to be unsuccessful even at the reception, some were predicting that the marriage would flame out before the fancy china ever got used

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of flames out Nothing majorly dramatic happens, no one flames out in the kitchen, no dish is an absolute failure. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 June 2026 Wings that shot flames out of them. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026 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 Firefighters instead used heavy equipment to cover it with dirt to put the flames out. — Brandon Downs, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026 Our dream of going back to the moon and onto Mars and more distant worlds—not least to ensure our species’ survival before the sun flames out and engulfs most of the solar system—can be seen as just one more step in evolution’s long march. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flames out
  1. fails
  2. collapses
  3. flops
  4. strikes out
  5. folds
  6. bombs
  7. misses
  8. struggles
Verb
  • The bill fails to address the true drivers of rising premiums.
    — Daily Southtown, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • West Brom’s fortunes may ebb and flow but the highest ground in the EFL, at 542 feet above sea level, rarely fails to deliver.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of fails
Verb
  • Hermione, overcome with grief from the sudden death of her other son, collapses and dies offstage.
    — Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Perhaps even Daeron, who in the book dies ignobly early in the battle, either by a random one of Addam’s soldiers or when his burning pavilion collapses on him.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapses
Verb
  • Starter addition flops Last season’s trade deadline wound up being a big flop.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The second play shows that this column isn't really about whether Clark flops.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of flops
Verb
  • Why the quest will fall short And finally Shohei Ohtani hits three homers and strikes out 10 in Game 4 of the 2025 NLCS.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Perfect Tom strikes out once again, not on the look but on the flavors.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of strikes out
Verb
  • Convenient design folds up and fits neatly inside its carry case.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • This disconnect between gesture and gaze suggests a reprieve from the physical demands on her body while her mind folds around something the painting declines to name.
    — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of folds
Verb
  • The campus is eerily silent, even as Israel attacks Lebanon and the United States bombs Iran.
    — Jonathan Zimmerman, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026
  • The United States bombs Iran's nuclear facilities days later.
    — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
Definition of bombs
Verb
  • Every time a front desk misses a call, revenue goes to the practice down the street.
    — Deepika Bodapati, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Steve Hanke, a professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, argues the conventional interest-rate story misses the real culprit.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of misses
Verb
  • Don’t wait until a leader is tapped on the shoulder to take a top job only to realize the leader struggles with collaboration or lacks executive presence.
    — Roberta Matuson, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Only the collision between Manette, Darnay and Carton unleashes a complex love triangle as both men fight for her love and Manette struggles over whom to choose.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of struggles

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Cite this Entry

“Flames out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flames%20out. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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