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
  • If the upcoming winter fails to deliver a banner snow season, recovering from the drought could take longer.
    — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The graph also fails to account for bigger developments in Russia’s diesel industry related to the strikes.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of fails
Verb
  • Measuring a quantum state typically collapses it, forcing it into one of two possible answers.
    — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The arc of this feud is now well known to all and will no doubt be shaped into the epic poetry our descendants recite in front of bonfires long after our civilization collapses.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of collapses
Verb
  • In Bait, Ahmed stars as struggling actor Shah Latif, who flops in his audition to play James Bond and then becomes consumed by the quest to become the first Pakistani 007.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Starter addition flops Last season’s trade deadline wound up being a big flop.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of flops
Verb
  • The ruling strikes out a significant piece of evidence for prosecutors as the case moves toward trial.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of strikes out
Verb
  • Adrien Michel, winner of the 2025 le19M Métiers d’Art Prize, introduced a capsule inspired by Marcel Breuer’s Cesca B34 chair, anchored by a shirt that folds out of a leather case made with Studio MTX.
    — Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Born as the score to a surreal short film set on Manchester’s empty streets, the ambient duo’s latest album folds classical instrumentation and field recordings into a mood of deep introspection.
    — Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 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
  • Some observers took that as evidence that high gas prices alone wouldn’t push Americans toward fully electric cars, but that conclusion misses half the story.
    — John Paul Helveston, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
  • As co-founder Jennifer Mantz noted, total surprise gifts carry intrinsic risks, often leaving recipients feeling guilty or uncomfortable when an item misses the mark completely.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of misses
Verb
  • In bonds, France’s problem is America’s problem A lot of eyes are on the French bond market right now as Paris struggles to deal with its national debt.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Today, Los Angeles struggles as productions flee to places including New Jersey, Georgia, London and Albuquerque, which are taking their turns as urban shape-shifters.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggles

Browse Nearby Words

flames
flames out
flaming
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Cite this Entry

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

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