: to try everything one can
They've exhausted (all) the possibilities.
: to do everything one can think of doing
Examples of exhaust (all) the possibilities in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2023
As schools exhaust the possibilities of trims around the margins, what is left, administrators say, is payroll, typically the largest line item in higher education.
—Shawn Hubler, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2020
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2023
The acoustic detection was one significant piece of information, but the search had to continue to exhaust all possibilities, said Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
—Alex Horton, BostonGlobe.com, 22 June 2023
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Idiom
In a recent podcast episode devoted to the book, the political theorist Lea Ypi reminded Runciman that our current political and corporate configurations hardly exhaust the possibilities for collective life.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2023
As schools exhaust the possibilities of trims around the margins, what is left, administrators say, is payroll, typically the largest line item in higher education.
—Shawn Hubler, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2020
Idiom
In a recent podcast episode devoted to the book, the political theorist Lea Ypi reminded Runciman that our current political and corporate configurations hardly exhaust the possibilities for collective life.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2023
The acoustic detection was one significant piece of information, but the search had to continue to exhaust all possibilities, said Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
—Alex Horton, BostonGlobe.com, 22 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Exhaust (all) the possibilities.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhaust%20%28all%29%20the%20possibilities. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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