petered; petering; peters
1
: to diminish gradually and come to an end : give out
—usually used with out
novelists whose creative impetus seems largely to have petered out—
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)2
: to become exhausted
—usually used with out
1
: a fisherman of Galilee and one of the twelve apostles
2
: either of two hortatory letters written to early Christians and included as books of the New Testament see Bible Table
Examples of peter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jack Lee, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Apr. 2023
Crazy theories often peter out.
—Jeffrey M. O'Brien, Fortune, 2 June 2022
But those efforts often peter out over time.
—Ellevate, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2021
Wintry deluges could peter out, giving way to stuborrnly persistent warmth and dryness that would partially or even totally erase the precipitation gains made so far this winter, at least for some parts of the West.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2019
See all Example Sentences for peter 
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Verb
This river typically peters out as its water is diverted for irrigation.
—Jack Lee, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Apr. 2023
Crazy theories often peter out.
—Jeffrey M. O'Brien, Fortune, 2 June 2022
But those efforts often peter out over time.
—Ellevate, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2021
Wintry deluges could peter out, giving way to stuborrnly persistent warmth and dryness that would partially or even totally erase the precipitation gains made so far this winter, at least for some parts of the West.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2019
See all Example Sentences for peter
Dictionary Entries Near peter
Cite this Entry
“Peter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peter. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
peter
1 of 2 verb
pe·ter
ˈpēt-ər
1
: to slowly come to an end
—usually used with out
her popularity petered out
2
: to become exhausted
—usually used with out
raked half the lawn before he petered out
Biographical Definition
Peter
biographical name
Pe·ter
ˈpē-tər 
circa 1050–1115 the Hermit French preacher of the 1st Crusade
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