come out
verb
came out; come out; coming out; comes out
1
a
: to appear after being hidden
As it got dark, the stars came out.
b
: to become available
The show's new season comes out next month.
a new magazine has come out
c
: to become known or evident
The truth finally came out.
Their pride came out in their refusal to accept help.
2
a
: to declare oneself especially in public utterance
came out in favor of the proposal
Some former supporters have come out against him.
b
: to say openly
Why don't you come out and say what you really think?
3
a
: to turn out in an outcome : end up
Everything came out all right.
They were confident they'd come out on top.
b
—used to describe the quality something has when finished
The photos came out blurry.
4
: to make a debut
5
a
: to openly declare one's sexual orientation or gender identity
came out as bisexual
decided to come out to her family
b
: to openly declare something about oneself previously kept hidden
—often used with as
… blew his cover and came out as a CIA agent …—William Prochnau
6
: to be said, expressed, or understood in a particular way
That's not what I meant. It didn't come out right.
see also:
Cite this Entry
“Come out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/come%20out. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
