come out

verb

came out; come out; coming out; comes out

intransitive verb

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.

coming-out

ˌkə-miŋ-ˈau̇t 

noun

Phrases

come out with

1

: to give expression to

came out with a new proposal

2

: to publish or produce (something available to the public)

came out with a new volume/model

Synonyms of come out

• prove
• fall out

Examples of come out in a Sentence

in the end everything came out OK

come out, come out wherever you are!

Recent Examples on the Web

If someone comes out with an album that's influenced by ‘70s rock, why is that person not nostalgia baiting? —Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025

So having conversations and all the theater exercises and the work that goes into rehearsals was amazing to have after coming out of TV, which is very fast-paced. —Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 25 Nov. 2025

More information is sure to come out about Rodgers' status for this week's game. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025

When does 'Stranger Things' Season 5 come out on Netflix? —Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for come out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout

Kids Definition

come out

verb

1

: to come into public view

2

: to turn out to be

everything came out all right