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 never count out Black Pumas, a band that has reaped seven Grammy nominations — though none have been in the R&B field. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2024 Never count out Atlus, and now the famed studio has unleashed a late-comer for GOTY 2024. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 Her extreme money-saving tactics included watering down juice for herself and the kids, counting out the pieces of cereal the kids could eat and rationing toilet paper usage for the family. Athena Sobhan, People.com, 15 Oct. 2024 Support from the same group could also boost the supporting stars of Challengers into the race, so don't count out Mike Faist or Josh O'Connor for their work in a film that drove pop culture conversation — and internet chatter — earlier this year. EW.com, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for count out 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'count 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

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of count out was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near count out

Cite this Entry

“Count out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/count%20out. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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