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

Earlier this year, the company warned it could soon run out of money, raising the specter of bankruptcy.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

The government says it has run out of diesel and fuel oil needed to power the generators that supplement the electricity production of its dilapidated power plants.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

This week the island's energy minister acknowledged that Cuba has, in essence, run out of fuel oil.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

The visit comes a day after Cuba’s government said the country had run out of fuel oil and diesel needed to keep the lights on.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Humans, like the dinosaurs, would run out of food.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

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