peter out

Idioms  

1. Dwindle or diminish and come to an end, as in Their enthusiasm soon petered out. The origin of this usage is unknown, but one authority suggests it may refer to the apostle Peter, whose enthusiastic support of Jesus quickly diminished so that he denied knowing him three times during the night after Jesus's arrest. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

peter out

While most experts are predicting this hantavirus outbreak will peter out, it’s not the kind of prediction you want to be wrong about either.

From Salon ● May 11, 2026

The game at that stage looked like it was going to peter out to a 0-0 draw.

From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026

As interest rates climb, unemployment is expected to grind higher as inflation gradually grinds lower, while the recent current pickup in economic growth is set to peter out fast, according to the RBA.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026

It remains to be seen when the rally will peter out.

From Barron's ● Dec. 10, 2025

On the shell house balcony, down the course, Al Ulbrickson’s hopes silently soared when he saw the boat move, but the move seemed to peter out with the boys still well short of the lead.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• abate
• die out
• ebb
• evaporate
• fade
• recede
• tail away
• tail off
• wane