bottom out
verb1
To reach the bottom; to reach the nadir or lowest point.
2
Automotive, Transport, Vehicles Idiomatic Of a vehicle, to touch or drag along the ground or other surface.
- Going over that speed bump, my car bottomed out.
3
Idiomatic Of a vessel, to touch the bottom of a water body.
4
Engineering, Mechanical, Mechanical engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Of a suspension or similar device, to strike the lower mechanical stop and lose the ability to buffer further downward motion.
- The hard landing caused the oleos to bottom out and the gear struts collapsed.
6
Idiomatic To be, at a basic level.
- The problem bottoms out into a management issue.