full-bore

1 of 2

adjective

1
: full-blown sense 2
a full-bore crisis
2
: made with maximum effort
a full-bore attempt to succeed

full bore

2 of 2

adverb

: with maximum effort or speed
runners sprinting full bore

Examples of full-bore in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Themselves a band that likes to push the edge of the technology envelope, and who made video a major part of their performances 30 years ago, U2 opened Sphere with aplomb, but not necessarily full-bore success. Brad Auerbach, Spin, 6 Oct. 2023 The Other Black Girl never gives itself over to full-bore horror, preferring to stay on the lighter side of the comedic-creepy spectrum. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2023 Engine and e-motor form a similar community of purpose that stretches from full-bore raucous and high-voltage energetic to hummingbird relaxed and surprisingly energy efficient. Georg Kacher, Car and Driver, 22 Aug. 2023 While the Biden administration initially had not been especially optimistic about the chances of negotiating a Saudi-Israeli rapprochement, during Mr. Sullivan’s visit in May, Prince Mohammed expressed more willingness to make a deal and Mr. Biden decided to make a full-bore effort. Ronen Bergman, New York Times, 29 July 2023 By its final minutes, the series has tipped over into full-bore sentimentality. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 June 2023 Cyr is a big swing at a full-bore Pumpkins synth-pop record, a woefully dull, 72-minute monolith where guitars almost never drown out keyboards. Al Shipley, SPIN, 5 May 2023 Teams decide between taking just two pit stops – and having to fuel save throughout the race – or three – and giving up roughly 27 seconds on pitlane but being able to push full-bore throughout the race. Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Apr. 2023 Wallace expects to book interviews with politicians and presidential hopefuls as the nation moves full-bore into the 2024 election cycle. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 21 Apr. 2023
Adverb
However, crypto has a risk surface so complex that dollar cost averaging remains a solid way to go unless you are confirmed in the heroic but precarious style of the bold pilot who wants to go full bore. Clem Chambers, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 And that sensibility comes back full bore in Beau Is Afraid. Vulture, 13 June 2023 He’s been going full bore for the past year, touring the country performing stand-up shows, hosting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, serving as a Daily Show correspondent, and auditioning to be its next host in the wake of Trevor Noah’s sudden departure. Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2023 There's an eco setting that reduces power for light cutting while conserving battery life, and six speeds for enough range to make multiple cuts in thin plywood on low to full bore (and maximum blade depth) to cut construction lumber. Alex Rennie, Popular Mechanics, 26 June 2023 The exception was President Felipe Calderón (2006-12) who wanted to go full bore against the cartels, but American priorities were elsewhere at the time. William P. Barr, WSJ, 2 Mar. 2023 Before long ecstasy will be full bore. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2020 Oregon’s punting competition is at full bore. oregonlive, 27 Sep. 2022 That night at the U.S. Open, Ms. Williams was Taquanda at full bore. Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 11 June 2021 See More

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

Adjective

1967, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of full-bore was in 1927

Dictionary Entries Near full-bore

full bond

full-bore

full bore

Cite this Entry

“Full-bore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/full-bore. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

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