peter out
verb
petered out; petering out; peters out
informal
: to gradually become smaller, weaker, or less before stopping or ending
Their romantic relationship petered out after the summer.
Interest in the sport is beginning to peter out.
Examples of peter out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As Southern California reaches the end of its rainy season, which typically peters out in April, this water year thus far has been relatively average.
—
Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
What’s far less clear is how much the VIX actually needs to rise before volatility begins to peter out.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
The rewards from those Cold War breakthroughs — semiconductors, lithium-ion batteries, and software automation — are starting to peter out.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Western officials and analysts say Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that time is on his side, that Western support for Ukraine will peter out and that Ukraine’s resistance will eventually collapse under pressure.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for peter out
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Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
What’s far less clear is how much the VIX actually needs to rise before volatility begins to peter out.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
The rewards from those Cold War breakthroughs — semiconductors, lithium-ion batteries, and software automation — are starting to peter out.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Western officials and analysts say Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that time is on his side, that Western support for Ukraine will peter out and that Ukraine’s resistance will eventually collapse under pressure.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for peter out
Cite this Entry
“Peter out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peter%20out. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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