dead-on

adjective

ˈded-ˈȯn How to pronounce dead-on (audio)
-ˈän
: exactly correct or accurate
a dead-on analysis
his impersonations were dead-on

Examples of dead-on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Colman is dead-on: Men outearn women on pretty much every set in Hollywood. Jane Thier, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2024 This vintage Dolly moment has become one of our all-time favorites: her dead-on impersonation of The King. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2023 Land is dead-on in her analysis of the various ways our society makes poverty all but inescapable. Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2023 Explore See latest videos, charts and news The pop star’s hair was as long, straight and dark as The Addams Family matriarch’s, and her makeup was dead-on at her performance at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2023 Every shot of the filmmaker’s two-hour-plus drama looks pristine; every costume and set dead-on balls accurate. Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2023 North Carolina Republicans have wasted no time with their new veto-proof legislative majorities, introducing a flurry of bills this week focusing on transgender issues that were previously dead-on-arrival. Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 6 Apr. 2023 In 1969, his scoop that Otis Singletary had been named UK’s eighth president, while dead-on accurate, prompted Singletary to withdraw and a delegation of irate officials to demand that publisher Barry Bingham Sr. take Wilson off the story. Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, 4 Apr. 2023 His proposal is all but dead-on-arrival, as congressional Republicans are generally opposed to any tax increases. Sarah Kolinovsky, ABC News, 9 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dead-on.' 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

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dead-on was circa 1889

Dictionary Entries Near dead-on

Cite this Entry

“Dead-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead-on. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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