1
: made with maximum effort : thoroughgoing
an all-out effort to win the contest
: with full determination or enthusiasm : with maximum effort
—used chiefly in the phrase go all out
Synonyms
Adjective
- absolute
- arrant
- blank
- blooming [chiefly British]
- bodacious [Southern & Midland]
- categorical
- categoric
- clean
- complete
- consummate
- crashing
- damn
- damned
- dead
- deadly
- definite
- downright
- dreadful
- fair
- flat
- flat-out
- out-and-out
- outright
- perfect
- plumb
- profound
- pure
- rank
- regular
- sheer
- simple
- stark
- stone
- straight-out
- thorough
- thoroughgoing
- total
- unadulterated
- unalloyed
- unconditional
- unmitigated
- unqualified
- utter
- very
Adverb
Examples of all-out in a Sentence
Adverb
went all out for her New Year's Eve party—she even had fireworks!
Recent Examples on the Web
The Enquirer, 11 Apr. 2024
Jackson is an average athlete with above average play strength, but the two-time team captain wins with all-out hustle and the persistence of a seven year old asking their mother for a candy bar at checkout.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
Her sequined halter gown—featuring referential detailing, from polo collar to racket motif to mesh pleated panels—was an all-out ode to tennis, one furthered by her exaggerated take on the court-ready pony.
—Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2024
And while practically every economist expected that all-out effort to tip the economy into a recession, the opposite has happened, with job growth and consumer spending holding strong.
—Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Hours after the explosion in Damascus last week, many of Israel’s almost 10 million people went into a panic: hearing pundits in the media predict a massive retaliation by Iran, Israelis stocked up on food and rushed to ATM’s to draw cash from their accounts in case of all-out war.
—Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman, TIME, 9 Apr. 2024
These workouts involve exercising at a high intensity for short durations, like an all-out sprint or cycle for 30 seconds to a minute, followed by a period of low intensity activity.
—Jason Sawyer, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
The all-out blitz may be over, but the crappie will remain active until the storm’s end.
—Don Wirth, Field & Stream, 4 Apr. 2024
But Vakil and other experts believe neither country wants an all-out conflict.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
For now, Miami’s shooting and spacing are at a deficit with Herro, Robinson and Kevin Love (heel) all out.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2024
But perhaps there’s no solution quite as simple as going all in — and dumping them all out.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
Rounding it all out is the 0.69-acre vacant parcel (above), which features 100 feet of direct ocean frontage and includes plans available for an 11,000-square-foot estate, per the listing.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024
On Saturday, March 2, West Bend will be going all out to celebrate spring.
—Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2024
Jones said some libraries that put out a display of books for Pride Month have told her that someone comes in, checks them all out, then returns them in July.
—Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2024
The matching duvet cover, pillowcase, and fitted sheet are all thermoregulating, so there's no reason not to go all out.
—Anamaria Glavan, Allure, 16 Mar. 2024
Rounding it all out are state-of-the-art home-automation and security systems, as well as a showpiece auto gallery.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Stopping short of recommending an all-out combination, the report suggests administrative changes and contractual agreements could produce savings.
—The Enquirer, 11 Apr. 2024
Jackson is an average athlete with above average play strength, but the two-time team captain wins with all-out hustle and the persistence of a seven year old asking their mother for a candy bar at checkout.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
Her sequined halter gown—featuring referential detailing, from polo collar to racket motif to mesh pleated panels—was an all-out ode to tennis, one furthered by her exaggerated take on the court-ready pony.
—Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2024
And while practically every economist expected that all-out effort to tip the economy into a recession, the opposite has happened, with job growth and consumer spending holding strong.
—Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Hours after the explosion in Damascus last week, many of Israel’s almost 10 million people went into a panic: hearing pundits in the media predict a massive retaliation by Iran, Israelis stocked up on food and rushed to ATM’s to draw cash from their accounts in case of all-out war.
—Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman, TIME, 9 Apr. 2024
These workouts involve exercising at a high intensity for short durations, like an all-out sprint or cycle for 30 seconds to a minute, followed by a period of low intensity activity.
—Jason Sawyer, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
The all-out blitz may be over, but the crappie will remain active until the storm’s end.
—Don Wirth, Field & Stream, 4 Apr. 2024
But Vakil and other experts believe neither country wants an all-out conflict.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Adverb
Advertisement Did the fans get it all out of their systems on opening night?
—Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
For now, Miami’s shooting and spacing are at a deficit with Herro, Robinson and Kevin Love (heel) all out.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2024
But perhaps there’s no solution quite as simple as going all in — and dumping them all out.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
Rounding it all out is the 0.69-acre vacant parcel (above), which features 100 feet of direct ocean frontage and includes plans available for an 11,000-square-foot estate, per the listing.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024
On Saturday, March 2, West Bend will be going all out to celebrate spring.
—Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2024
Jones said some libraries that put out a display of books for Pride Month have told her that someone comes in, checks them all out, then returns them in July.
—Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2024
The matching duvet cover, pillowcase, and fitted sheet are all thermoregulating, so there's no reason not to go all out.
—Anamaria Glavan, Allure, 16 Mar. 2024
Rounding it all out are state-of-the-art home-automation and security systems, as well as a showpiece auto gallery.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'all-out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near all-out
Cite this Entry
“All-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-out. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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