out-and-out
adjective
: being such completely at all times, in every way, or from every point of view
an out-and-out fraud
Synonyms
- absolute
- all-out
- arrant
- blank
- blooming [chiefly British]
- bodacious [Southern & Midland]
- categorical
- categoric
- clean
- complete
- consummate
- crashing
- damn
- damned
- dead
- deadly
- definite
- downright
- dreadful
- fair
- flat
- flat-out
- outright
- perfect
- plumb
- profound
- pure
- rank
- regular
- sheer
- simple
- stark
- stone
- straight-out
- thorough
- thoroughgoing
- total
- unadulterated
- unalloyed
- unconditional
- unmitigated
- unqualified
- utter
- very
Examples of out-and-out in a Sentence
an out-and-out cheater at every game she plays
her story is not just an exaggeration, it's an out-and-out lie
mounted an out-and-out effort to find the lost child
Recent Examples on the Web
An interesting collection of white government officials, Black entrepreneurs, promoters and, frankly, out-and-out hustlers came together to put together this unsanctioned boxing match.
—
Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024
Presumably, Conrad was talking not to out-and-out bigots but to well-meaning liberal folks who would never dream of taking an identity that wasn’t theirs.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2024
The hotel where Elizabeth Taylor signed her Cleopatra contract in the bath remains out-and-out fabulous—but with a Pierre-Yves Rochon uplift.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2023
According to teens who have been rescued from one of these camps, children are being subjected to out-and-out brainwashing.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 17 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for out-and-out 
Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024
Presumably, Conrad was talking not to out-and-out bigots but to well-meaning liberal folks who would never dream of taking an identity that wasn’t theirs.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2024
The hotel where Elizabeth Taylor signed her Cleopatra contract in the bath remains out-and-out fabulous—but with a Pierre-Yves Rochon uplift.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2023
According to teens who have been rescued from one of these camps, children are being subjected to out-and-out brainwashing.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 17 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for out-and-out
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'out-and-out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near out-and-out
Cite this Entry
“Out-and-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/out-and-out. Accessed 7 Sep. 2024.
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