: exactly correct or accurate
a dead-on analysis
his impersonations were dead-on
Synonyms
Examples of dead-on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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
The result is a dead-on accurate registration tool for use with a big punch like this.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 2 Mar. 2023
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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
The result is a dead-on accurate registration tool for use with a big punch like this.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 2 Mar. 2023
See More
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
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 28 Nov. 2023.
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