count out

verb

counted out; counting out; counts out

transitive verb

1

: to not include (someone) in an activity

If you are looking for people to help you clean the house today, count me out.

2

: to decide that (someone or something) cannot win or succeed

Don't count out our team just yet. They could still win.

3

: to count (a certain number of items to be separated from a quantity one is holding)

He counted out ten tickets and handed them to her.

4

: to signal the knockout of (a boxer who is down) by completing an audible count of 10 seconds before the boxer rises

Examples of count out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And this was right before the finish, and they both got counted out. —Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025

But fans and media alike have learned not to count out Mahomes, and Chris Jones may be playing with an extra edge after how the last game ended. —Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025

Hey, don’t count out the plucky Bears. —Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025

Lowell will be in the mix with Ikaro Da Silva returning in net while perennial Middlesex League powers Arlington, Lexington and Winchester can never be counted out. —Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for count out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout