flunk out
Idioms-
Expel or be expelled from a school because one's work does not meet the required standard. For example, He flunked out of Harvard after just one year . [ Slang ; early 1800s]
-
Fail at anything, as in The camera ran out of film so we flunked out as photographers . [ Slang ; late 1800s]
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.
The difference between dropping the SAT and dropping the civil service examination is that incompetent students flunk out in a year or so.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Her night terrors are causing her to flunk out of college, and her roommate demands that she go home and get some answers so that she can get some sleep.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2025
In her first year at college, as she studied to be a nuclear engineer, her depression led her to flunk out and return home, too crippled to get out of bed.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 21, 2021
He said standards are high enough that about 5-to-10% of those inducted into Horizon’s training program flunk out and never become line pilots.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 5, 2019
See, Katherine, I am not going to flunk out as a cry for help! he thought.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
