Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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.

A self-described environmental champion, Fryday supports the state’s plan to phase out new gas-powered cars by 2035.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Baseball is going to inevitably phase out the plate umpire, one of the most soulful, theatrical characters in American sports.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 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

The Netherlands and Sweden are planning to build new plants, while Belgium has ditched its nuclear phase out and Italy is also re-considering its stance.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

The one that could apparently phase out almost any electromagnetic frequency up to about a hundred thousand megacycles—including sixty-cycle power frequencies—was considered to be a particularly cute item.

From Anything You Can Do! by Garrett, Randall

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.