out of business
Idioms-
No longer carrying on commercial transactions, as in He's decided to go out of business when he turns sixty-five , or The supermarkets are putting the small grocers out of business .
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Not in working order, inoperative, as in It looks as though the merry-go-round is out of business tonight . Also see out of commission ; go out , def. 5.
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.
If your bank didn’t go out of business in this time period, then great — but you want to keep that in mind when you redeploy the money.
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
But in the announcement that the company was going out of business, they didn’t name that as a factor but did name a “recent material increase in oil prices.”
From Slate • May 5, 2026
President Trump said Tuesday he was troubled by the idea that Spirit, which employs about 14,000 people, could go out of business.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
United Airlines Chief Executive Scott Kirby said the hike in jet fuel prices triggered by the conflict in Iran could put some airlines out of business.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Hannah’s parents were on the news every night, warning that if the huge shopping center went up, it would put the downtown stores out of business.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
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.
