lose out

verb

lost out; losing out; loses out

intransitive verb

: to fail to win in competition : fail to receive an expected reward or gain

Examples of lose out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As a result, the state contends, its colleges lose out on tens of millions of dollars because of discriminatory requirements. —Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025

Cincinnati finished as a top three finalist for Sundance, but the city lost out to Boulder, Colorado, in March. —David Wysong, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Sep. 2025

Nearly 30 years after Lopez lost out on starring in Evita, the actress and singer is starring in her first-ever movie musical with Kiss of the Spider-Woman, an adaptation of the 1993 Broadway musical. —Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025

This spring, the group sent a letter to California state lawmakers, arguing that the requirements proposed in AB 566 would cause small businesses to lose out on customer data and make their websites more expensive to operate. —Calmatters, Mercury News, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1858, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lose out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout