run out of

Idioms  

1. Exhaust a supply or quantity of, as in We're about to run out of coffee and sugar. This expression, dating from about 1700, can be used both literally and figuratively. Thus run out of gas may mean one no longer has any fuel, but it has also acquired the figurative sense of exhausting a supply of energy, enthusiasm, or support, and hence causing some activity to come to a halt. For example, After running ten laps I ran out of gas and had to rest to catch my breath, or The economic recovery seems to have run out of gas. On the other hand, run out of steam, originally alluding to a steam engine, today is used only figuratively to indicate a depletion of energy of any kind.

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Example Sentences

At some point, we run out of composers we know on a last-name basis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

But co-founder Katie Kendrick called for a "binding timetable for reform" and "concrete progress", adding that "leaseholders have run out of patience".

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

Yet one measure of momentum—Intel’s relative strength indicator —is extremely stretched at about 253, a level that suggests buyers could soon run out of steam as the stock is technically overbought.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

It’s also handy when you’ve run out of bread and don’t feel like going to the store but still want something warm and homemade.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

I run out of air and my voice catches.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Related Words

• absorb
• deplete
• devour
• dominate
• drain
• eat up
• employ
• exhaust
• expend
• obsess
• preoccupy
• spend
• waste