View synonyms for

run out of

Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

According to a 2019 estimate by the state-run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the government pension fund could run out of money by 2035.

From

He was able to indulge his passion for sailing – having created a false ID, only returning last April after he'd run out of money.

From

The United Nations World Food Program said Friday that it had run out of food in Gaza.

From

"We run out of donations but I think it shows how many people need us."

From

However, the health secretary denied that his decision to bring in external experts to take a "fresh perspective" at NHS performance suggested the Welsh Labour government, after 26 years in charge, had run out of ideas.

From

Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

run-out run out on

Browse