zero out
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle out
Meanings
Reduce an amount or value to zero
Why “out”? Something is used until nothing is left. Energy, supply, fire, and time all reach zero.
“The bank zeroed out the account balance after the final payment.”
“We zeroed out the unused travel budget.”
“The reading was wrong, so I zeroed it out and started again.”
Test yourself
“The bank zeroed out the account balance after the final payment.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
blow out
Same out pattern: exhaustion
Extinguish a flame by blowing
burn out
Same out pattern: exhaustion
Become exhausted from overwork; (of a fire) Stop burning because there is no fuel left; (of an electrical device) Stop working because of overheating; Destroy a building or vehicle by fire
chill out
Same out pattern: exhaustion
Relax and stop being anxious
close out
Same out pattern: exhaustion
End or settle a process or account
conk out
Same out pattern: exhaustion
Stop working suddenly, especially of an engine or machine
die out
Same out pattern: exhaustion
Gradually disappear
dry out
Same out pattern: exhaustion
Become or make completely dry
fizzle out
Same out pattern: exhaustion
End weakly after a strong start
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “zero out” in Sink In
Drill “zero out” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
