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

See Examples For:

run out of

The Sussexes needed a “brand refresh,” says Ingrid Seward, editor in chief of Majesty Magazine, noting that the couple’s efforts to build a media empire in Hollywood have run out of steam.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Currently, bikers headed southbound run out of path where Riverside Drive crosses the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

“If you are a small firm, you will run out of tokens quickly,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

Reacting to the announcement, a prison officer told the BBC that they were "creaking at the seams" and that "delaying the releases until October could mean we simply run out of space".

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

They never seemed to run out of things to say to each other, which made it all the more astounding that they'd known each other for a total of two weeks before they got married.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Related Words

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