1 C1 neutral
To reduce a budget, fund, or financial balance to zero; to cut all funding from something
"The committee voted to zero out the arts program entirely next fiscal year."
separable
zero out
C1 neutral separable transitive
To reduce something to zero, especially a financial figure, or to eliminate a budget or account entirely
In plain English
To make a number go all the way down to zero, or to completely get rid of something like a budget
What does "zero out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 neutral
To reset a counter, score, or value to zero in a technical or computing context
"Make sure to zero out the variable before running the loop again."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To bring a figure or counter out to (i.e., resulting in) zero
Actually means
To make a number go all the way down to zero, or to completely get rid of something like a budget
Usage tip
Common in American business, government, and finance contexts. Can also be used in computing to mean resetting a value to zero. Slightly more technical than everyday usage.
Words that pair with "zero out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
budget account balance funding debt allocation
How to conjugate "zero out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
zero out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
zeros out
he/she/it
Past simple
zeroed out
yesterday
Past participle
zeroed out
have + pp
-ing form
zeroing out
continuous
Hear "zero out" in the wild
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Other ways to say "zero out"
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Keep exploring
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