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

Adverb went all out for her New Year's Eve party—she even had fireworks!
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Even Congress, noting the Dickey Amendment was not an all-out ban, appropriated $25 million for gun research in late 2019, split between the CDC — whose imperative is to research public health issues — and the National Institutes of Health. Christine Spolar, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 The pharmaceutical industry’s all-out attack on President Biden’s drug negotiation initiative for Medicare — comprising nine federal lawsuits (so far) and lots of heavy breathing by lobbyists — has just run into a major snag. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 But after two years of all-out war, the sense of public urgency that spurred new troops to the battlefield and fueled Ukraine’s early successes has faded. Siobhán O'Grady, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 The rival families are on the brink of an all-out war. Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 This isn't the first time the Ambani family has gone all-out for a wedding. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 And despite cities trying to put the brakes on all-out parties of the past, college kids are dribbling into South Florida for a day at the beach and a night at the bar. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024 The Blessed Madonna initially simplifies the production before turning the dial up on the track’s string section, ramping up into all-out disco bliss (and giving us more of a good thing, by extending the track by a full minute and a half). Katie Bain, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2024 At full power, the system affords a range of 25 miles or approximately one hour of all-out cruising. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Feb. 2024
Adverb
Or When Oprah conducted a sit-down, the pope of pop culture working it all out with them in a chat watched by millions? Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 28 Feb. 2024 Netflix’s great successes are not all out of America. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2024 The move is Florida legislators’ latest battlefront in an all out culture war that is seen as a bellwether for the rest of the country. Rachel Barber, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 Rounding it all out: lushly landscaped grounds hosting meandering pathways and an additional waterfall that empties into into a spa. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2024 Plus, Comedy Central has changed, the TV business has changed and the world has changed, but even with all that, there’s nobody better than Jon Stewart to try and figure it all out. Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2024 What ensues is all out war and a globe spanning adventure reuniting fans with tons of callback characters. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2024 To chuck this all out of the window for an uber-expensive dash to the Moon that would be nothing more than Apollo part two, and completely unsustainable, makes no sense. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 18 Jan. 2024 To go all out, look for statues of mythical creatures like dragons and unicorns, too. Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Jan. 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.

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

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 Mar. 2024.

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
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