serve out
phrasal verb
served out; serving out; serves out
: to complete (a term in office, a prison sentence, etc.)
He was unable to serve out his five-year term as chairperson.
She was allowed to serve out her sentence in a prison close to home.
Examples of serve out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Brown, meanwhile, could potentially run for Senate again in 2026 against Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), who’s serving out the remainder of Vance’s Senate term, or for governor.
—
Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 6 May 2025
The three will serve out their life sentences in the U.S. after the repatriation done in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy, Congolese presidential spokesperson Tina Salama said.
—Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2025
For dessert, there’s tiramisu, served out of a tray at your table.
—Andy Wang, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Wilcox was serving out a five-year term and Harris a seven-year term, and their terminations caused their respective boards to lack quorums, limiting their ability to make substantive decisions.
—Ashley Oliver, The Washington Examiner, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for serve out
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 6 May 2025
The three will serve out their life sentences in the U.S. after the repatriation done in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy, Congolese presidential spokesperson Tina Salama said.
—Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2025
For dessert, there’s tiramisu, served out of a tray at your table.
—Andy Wang, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Wilcox was serving out a five-year term and Harris a seven-year term, and their terminations caused their respective boards to lack quorums, limiting their ability to make substantive decisions.
—Ashley Oliver, The Washington Examiner, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for serve out
Cite this Entry
“Serve out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serve%20out. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share