1. past tense of peter; to gradually diminish and come to an end
Usage: usually used with ‘out’

Examples

• The conversation petered out after an awkward silence.
• His enthusiasm for the project petered out by the third week.
• The trail petered out at the edge of the forest.
• The storm petered out before reaching the coast.
• Her energy petered out after working twelve hours straight.
• The old mining town petered out when the gold ran dry.