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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Still, with a freshman taking snaps for BYU, an opportunistic CU defense cannot be counted out. Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025 Some, however, are urging traders not to count out a fourth quarter pullback. Sarah Min, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025 But don't count out the cringey design detail just yet. Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2025 And this was right before the finish, and they both got counted out. Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for count out

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Count out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/count%20out. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!