out of business

Idioms  

1. No longer carrying on commercial transactions, as in He's decided to go out of business when he turns sixty-five , or The supermarkets are putting the small grocers out of business .

2. Not in working order, inoperative, as in It looks as though the merry-go-round is out of business tonight . Also see out of commission ; go out , def. 5.

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Example Sentences

In fact, he’s worried that if gas prices go much higher, it might put him out of business.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

The old factory at 120 Jefferson Northeast, a sand-colored brick building with its distinctive arched entryway, had gone out of business, and quickly.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Gawker was forced to shut down under the weight of lawsuits, Vice Media filed for bankruptcy and is a shadow of itself, and BuzzFeed now warns it could go out of business entirely this year.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

Purists would celebrate those productivity gains, but their economic benefit would be quickly swamped by the negative implications of having entire companies go out of business in droves and surging unemployment.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Of the 113 establishments that had licenses to sell soft drinks in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the two that stuck to the law and did not become speakeasies went out of business.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler