mark out

phrasal verb

marked out; marking out; marks out
1
: to indicate (a route on a map) with marks
I have marked out the best way to get to my ranch.
2
: to draw lines around (something) so that it can be clearly seen
He marked out his mining claim.
3
: to plan the details of (a course of action)
She talked about the course the European Union has marked out for itself.
4
chiefly British : to show that (someone or something) is special or different in some way
Her very first book marked her out as a great poet.
She was marked out for greatness.

Examples of mark 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.
The room had to be marked out of order for a deep cleaning after Combs left, Zemmour testified, and an additional $500 fee was charged for damage. Nbc News, NBC news, 22 May 2025 In a career marked out by an uncanny ability to stay in the news, Ye has upped the ante in 2025, seemingly leaning into his pariah status in the entertainment industry, and pop culture generally, with a series of hugely controversial music releases and public stunts. Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Being a very talented director and screenwriter in his own right, Takahata would also mark out his own career in anime. Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025 The trails are marked out in short segments, most of which are less than a mile. Brian Higgins, Outside Online, 20 May 2025 It was used to mark out gay and transgender people in concentration camps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025 To visualize the fit before buying, use painter’s tape to mark out the rug’s dimensions. Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Jan. 2025 One boy makes a line in the sand to mark out the pitch. Adam Leventhal, The Athletic, 15 Dec. 2024 So the sense was this was much more about sort of marking out what do nations want. Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2015

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mark out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mark%20out. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

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!