all-out

1 of 2

adjective

1
: made with maximum effort : thoroughgoing
an all-out effort to win the contest
2

all out

2 of 2

adverb

: with full determination or enthusiasm : with maximum effort
used chiefly in the phrase go all out

Examples of all-out in a Sentence

Adjective Grandpa got the all-out support of the family when he decided to remarry at age 72 an all-out effort to break open the door Adverb went all out for her New Year's Eve party—she even had fireworks!
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
With Trump crossing into uncharted territory in his assault on the Fed, any effort to get a new Fed nominee confirmed by the Senate will now become an all-out battle. Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025 The film follows the Demon Slayer Corps’ all-out assault on Kibutsuji Muzan’s stronghold in a bid to end the war between humans and demons. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Aug. 2025
Adverb
The rookie fifth-round pick got the start with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel all out of the lineup, leaving Sanders and Tyler Huntley as the only two available QBs. Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2025 The dream excursion concluded with a delightful banquet dinner on the beach with my fellow guests and the actors, now all out of character. Liam Quinn, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for all-out

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1893, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of all-out was in 1840

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“All-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-out. Accessed 1 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

all-out

1 of 2 adjective
ˈȯ-ˈlau̇t
: made with maximum effort : extreme
an all-out attempt to finish on time

all out

2 of 2 adverb
: with maximum effort
went all out to win

More from Merriam-Webster on all-out

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!