zero out

phrasal verb

zeroed out; zeroing out; zeroes out
US
1
: to reduce the amount of (something) to zero
Be sure to zero out the account before you switch banks.
2
: to remove (something) completely
This program will be zeroed out in the budget for next year.
New legislation will zero out further funding for the project.

Examples of zero out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In his first term, Trump’s administration sought to zero out funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes federal funding to primarily to public media stations, as well as television programming. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2025 In a December 4 TikTok clip, which has amassed over 187,000 views, Doll rated pregnancy as a zero out of 10. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024 For example, the Trump administration attempted to zero out a federal Chesapeake Bay program that had previously received $73 million annually. Hannah Gaskill, Baltimore Sun, 12 Nov. 2024 Her old war chests from her 2020 run for president and 2016 run for US Senate have both been zeroed out and deactivated. Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 22 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for zero out 

Dictionary Entries Near zero out

Cite this Entry

“Zero out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zero%20out. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!