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Synonyms

phase out

British  

verb

  1. (tr, adverb) to discontinue or withdraw gradually

"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

noun

  1. the action or an instance of phasing out

    a phase-out of conventional forces
"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.

"We at Ayr Diving Club hope that the powers-that-be will reconsider their plans to phase out diving at the Citadel Leisure Centre."

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

A newer tanker, the KC-46A, is planned to phase out the older models but the transition has not been as fast as expected.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026

For married couples, the extra tax relief from the larger standard deduction would begin to phase out after $92,000 and would stop at $161,000.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

Walmart said last fall it would remove synthetic dyes from its store-brand foods and phase out roughly 30 other ingredients, including certain artificial sweeteners and preservatives.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

The Dutch Government has agreed to restart the aid   flow, which will allow Suriname to access international development   financing, but plans to phase out funds over the next five years.

From The 2005 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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.