expire
verb
ex·pire
ik-ˈspī(-ə)r 
usually for intransitive sense 3 and transitive sense 2 ek-
expired; expiring
1
: to breathe one's last breath : die
2
: to come to an end: such as
a
: to exceed its period of validity
The contract will expire next month.
b
: to pass its expiration date (see expiration date sense 2)
This milk has expired.
" … when drugs expire, you can't just leave these things lying around."—
Ed Haislmaier
Ed Haislmaier3
: to emit the breath
Examples of expire in a Sentence
My driver's license has expired.
She expired after a long illness.
measuring the volume of air expired from the lungs
Recent Examples on the Web
Many of the tariffs on Chinese products remained in place during the Joe Biden administration while others expired.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025
The manual lacks instructions on timer and temperature usage, and there is no confirmation that the automatic shut-off feature is effective when the timer expires.
—Jordan Liberty Phillips, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Apr. 2025
Cal Fire is currently under contract to serve the southern district, but the county has opted to allow that contract to expire at the end of June.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2025
Alexander-Walker made the first two and then deliberately missed the third to ensure the clock expired again with just 0.2 seconds remaining.
—Matias Grez, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expire
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025
The manual lacks instructions on timer and temperature usage, and there is no confirmation that the automatic shut-off feature is effective when the timer expires.
—Jordan Liberty Phillips, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Apr. 2025
Cal Fire is currently under contract to serve the southern district, but the county has opted to allow that contract to expire at the end of June.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2025
Alexander-Walker made the first two and then deliberately missed the third to ensure the clock expired again with just 0.2 seconds remaining.
—Matias Grez, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expire
Cite this Entry
“Expire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expire. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expire
verb
ex·pire
ik-ˈspī(ə)r
usually for sense 3 ek-
expired; expiring
1
: to breathe one's last breath : die
2
: to come to an end : be no longer in force
this offer expires March 1
my driver's license has expired
3
a
: to let the breath out
b
: to breathe out from or as if from the lungs
Medical Definition
expire
verb
ex·pire
ik-ˈspī(ə)r, usually for vi 2 and vt ek-
expired; expiring
: to breathe out from or as if from the lungs
the basal metabolism test … measures the amount of carbon dioxide expired by the lungs—J. D. Ratcliff
J. D. RatcliffLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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