fizzle out

Idioms  

1. Fail, end weakly, especially after a hopeful beginning. For example, The enthusiasm for reform has fizzled out in this state. The word fizzle dates from the early 1500s and meant “to break wind without making noise.” Later it was applied to hissing noises, such as those made by wet fireworks, and then to any endeavor that ends in disappointment. [Colloquial; mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

The final act avoids sports-movie clichés, which is another way of saying that things simply fizzle out unsatisfyingly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 2, 2025

Mr Turner said some observers remained cynical, but despite the delays, campaigners didn't intend to let their movement fizzle out.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2025

Could the excitement over Nashville-style hot chicken eventually fizzle out?

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 15, 2025

But when those cases reach the Supreme Court, they sometimes fizzle out.

From New York Times • Mar. 19, 2024

“How could all our work just fizzle out in one afternoon?”

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Related Words

• deteriorate
• disappear
• end
• expire
• fail
• fall
• pass
• stop
• vanish