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Synonyms

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.

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.

He has made seven successful defences of that status but has fast run out of serious challengers, leading to speculation that another divisional change could be on the cards.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

Yet one measure of momentum—Intel’s relative strength indicator—is extremely stretched at 206.8, a level that suggests buyers could soon run out of steam.

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

The cost to make greener materials at scale is high and some startups have run out of cash.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

I run out of air and my voice catches.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

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.