fizzle

1 of 2

verb

fiz·​zle ˈfi-zəl How to pronounce fizzle (audio)
fizzled; fizzling ˈfi-zə-liŋ How to pronounce fizzle (audio)
ˈfiz-liŋ
Synonyms of fizzlenext

intransitive verb

1
: fizz
2
: to fail or end feebly especially after a promising start
—often used with out

fizzle

2 of 2

noun

: an abortive effort : failure

Synonyms of fizzle

Relevance

Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of fizzle in a Sentence

Verb oozing gobs of grease, a pair of fatty burgers fizzled on the grill Noun the home team's unexpected fizzle in that last game cost them the championship the play was a fizzle, opening and closing the same night
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
But as the movie awkwardly pivots to weighty themes like forgiveness, honor and grief, the initial sparks of subversiveness fizzle out. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Warren’s campaign fizzled out, but President Joe Biden later consulted with the group on a proposal to tax families with more than $100 million in assets. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
When talking about stocks that have lost their fizzle, Pepsi comes to the top of the list. — Jay Woods, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026 The Guardians saw a rally fizzle when Steven Kwan grounded into an inning-ending double play. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fizzle

Word History

Etymology

Verb

perhaps alteration of fist to break wind

First Known Use

Verb

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fizzle was in 1840

Rhymes for fizzle

See All Rhymes for fizzle

Browse Nearby Words

fizzer
fizzle
fizzwater
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fizzle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fizzle. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

fizzle

verb
fiz·​zle
ˈfiz-əl
fizzled; fizzling
-(ə-)liŋ
: to fail after a good start
—often used with out
fizzle noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All