expire
verb
ex·pire
ik-ˈspī(-ə)r 
usually for intransitive sense 3 and transitive sense 2 ek-
expired; expiring
1
: to breathe one's last breath : die
2
: to come to an end: such as
a
: to exceed its period of validity
The contract will expire next month.
b
: to pass its expiration date (see expiration date sense 2)
This milk has expired.
" … when drugs expire, you can't just leave these things lying around."—
Ed Haislmaier
Ed Haislmaier3
: to emit the breath
Examples of expire in a Sentence
My driver's license has expired.
She expired after a long illness.
measuring the volume of air expired from the lungs
Recent Examples on the Web
What happens if the enhanced subsidies expire?
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 31 Oct. 2025
The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty from 1996 was never fully ratified, and Moscow suspended participation in the bilateral US-Russia New START deal in 2023, which will expire in February.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The website no longer works, though the domain registration doesn’t expire until 2026.
—Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
In Monday’s filing, lawyers for Robert Morris and his wife, Debbie Morris, argue Clemishire’s claims should be dismissed in part because the statute of limitations on them have expired.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expire
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show current usage.
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Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 31 Oct. 2025
The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty from 1996 was never fully ratified, and Moscow suspended participation in the bilateral US-Russia New START deal in 2023, which will expire in February.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The website no longer works, though the domain registration doesn’t expire until 2026.
—Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
In Monday’s filing, lawyers for Robert Morris and his wife, Debbie Morris, argue Clemishire’s claims should be dismissed in part because the statute of limitations on them have expired.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expire
Cite this Entry
“Expire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expire. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expire
verb
ex·pire
ik-ˈspī(ə)r
usually for sense 3 ek-
expired; expiring
1
: to breathe one's last breath : die
2
: to come to an end : be no longer in force
this offer expires March 1
my driver's license has expired
3
a
: to let the breath out
b
: to breathe out from or as if from the lungs
Medical Definition
expire
verb
ex·pire
ik-ˈspī(ə)r, usually for vi 2 and vt ek-
expired; expiring
: to breathe out from or as if from the lungs
the basal metabolism test … measures the amount of carbon dioxide expired by the lungs—J. D. Ratcliff
J. D. RatcliffLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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