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
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
John Reid, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
The Wild were able to do that all-out in Game 3, but especially their high-skilled forwards didn’t seem to want to Monday.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2026
And pour it all out on the table, hold nothing back.
—Terry Terrones, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for all-out
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Adjective
Going all-out, Thompson and his co-author, Ezra Klein, wrote in their 2025 book, Abundance, is mainly about, at least as far as climate is concerned, removing regulatory obstacles to building green-energy infrastructure.
—John Reid, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
The Wild were able to do that all-out in Game 3, but especially their high-skilled forwards didn’t seem to want to Monday.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Adverb
Porch goose owners are known for going all out, especially around the holidays, with tiny raincoats, Santa robes, itsy-bitsy bikinis, graduation caps, bunny ears, and more.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2026
And pour it all out on the table, hold nothing back.
—Terry Terrones, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for all-out
Cite this Entry
“All-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-out. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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