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

See Examples For:

fizzle out

While several industry experts told MarketWatch that controversies over advertisements tend to fizzle out in the medium term, there’s always a chance that damage to its brand could linger.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

As the fronts push south, they may fizzle out, meaning little or no rainfall for the places that need it most, in the south and east.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

"When that happens, triplets easily fizzle out before they ever meet. Molecules must be close enough for energy to transfer but separated enough to prevent quenching of excitons."

From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026

“It is perfectly possible that the indirect effects only feed through once and then fizzle out later.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

“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