fizzle

present singular third person fizzles · participle present fizzling · participle past fizzled · past fizzled

1. To sputter or hiss.

   The soda fizzled for several minutes after it was poured.

   1 more example

   It is the easest thing, sir, to be done, / As plain as fizzling.

   1616, Ben Jonson, The Devil Is an Ass

2. figurativelyinformalTo decay or die off to nothing; to burn out; to end less successfully than previously hoped.

   The entire project fizzled after the founder quit.

   2 more examples

   I had a suspicion that Stephanie's native ingenuity rather fizzled there. You know, Stephanie dear, there is a difference, it seems, between Bombay and Californian pearls.

   1914, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados

   And so it fizzled to its close with Gary Cahill galloping around as an extra centre-forward, mutinous chants of “you’re not fit to wear the shirt,” from the England followers and Hodgson’s media staff announcing he would not take any questions.

   2016 June 27, Daniel Taylor, “England humiliated as Iceland knock them out of Euro 2016”, in The Guardian, London

3. governmentTo fail to generate the expected yield when exploded during testing.

   The shot fizzled, generating only 200 tons rather than the 30 kilotons they were aiming for.

plural fizzles

1. A spluttering or hissing sound.
2. governmentFailure of an exploding nuclear bomb to meet its expected yield during testing.
3. An abortive effort; a flop or dud.
4. A state of agitation or worry.