flameout

British

/ ˈfleɪmˌaʊt /

noun

the failure of an aircraft jet engine in flight due to extinction of the flame
a complete failure

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

(of a jet engine) to fail in flight or to cause (a jet engine) to fail in flight

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Meanwhile, the crusade against Captain Kelly seems doomed to a proper flameout.

From Slate • Jan. 13, 2026

Foster’s quick flameout after a little more than one season has led to a new opening inside the athletic department while leading a growing contingent of donors and fans to demand one more.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2025

Purdue erased some of the disappointment of last year’s historic first-round flameout with a pair of lopsided wins, setting up a Sweet 16 matchup with a Gonzaga team back in the underdog role.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 25, 2024

Jeffrey Katzenberg on the quick flameout of Quibi, the video app he co-founded: “I’m proud to own the failure.”

From New York Times • May 24, 2023

Sally's Hollywood flameout requires her to slink back to Joplin, MO., providing the audience a window into the reasons she left.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023