lights-out

noun

1
: a command or signal for putting out lights
2
: a prescribed bedtime for persons living under discipline

Examples of lights-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.
Our defense has been playing lights-out all season. Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2026 White had 21-5-6, and Hauser was lights-out off the bench, going 7-for-8 from 3-point range to finish with a season-high 23 points. Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 27 Dec. 2025 The Phillies had a strong rotation, a lights-out closer, and a lineup that had a good balance of power and on-base threat. Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025 The other new contender is the Colts’ Taylor, who just had one of those lights-out, history-defining kind of games on Sunday. Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lights-out

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lights-out was in 1864

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lights-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lights-out. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.

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!