out-of-bounds
adverb or adjective
: outside the prescribed or conventional boundaries or limits
If the Frisbee hits the ground or soars out-of-bounds, it changes hands.—
John Bowermaster
John BowermasterOnly a few yards over the green are out-of-bounds markers.—Jeff Gerth
Jeff GerthOur slate is going to have edgier films that aren't exactly out-of-bounds for children, but that are really made for more sophisticated audiences.—David Hochman
David Hochman
Examples of out-of-bounds in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The four vulnerabilities rated as having a high impact include two use-after-free bugs and two out-of-bounds memory access issues.
—Kate O'Flaherty, WIRED, 31 Aug. 2023
An out-of-bounds hit at the end of a punt return sparked a scuffle in which a Moody player was ejected for throwing a punch.
—Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 30 Aug. 2023
Fans pack in, hovering over the court’s out-of-bounds lines.
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 25 July 2023
The hole, the 16th for members and a place where Open players have often used long irons in the past, will veer toward the right, by an extensive and expanded out-of-bounds area, for second shots.
—Jin Yu Young, New York Times, 19 July 2023
Ishbia, 43, earlier this year purchased the Phoenix Suns, an NBA team, and has recently been the focus of heavy media attention since a Denver Nuggets player shoved him during a playoff-series game on Sunday after Ishbia, who was sitting courtside, caught an out-of-bounds ball.
—Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 10 May 2023
Course obstacles include trees, bushes, terrain changes, water hazards and out-of-bounds zone, which results in a penalty throw.
—Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2023
Playing a provisional ball allows players to re-hit without having to walk back to the original spot of the ball if it is lost or out-of-bounds.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2023
Redirect the growth of out-of-bounds shoots and thin trees and shrubs as needed.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2023
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Kate O'Flaherty, WIRED, 31 Aug. 2023
An out-of-bounds hit at the end of a punt return sparked a scuffle in which a Moody player was ejected for throwing a punch.
—Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 30 Aug. 2023
Fans pack in, hovering over the court’s out-of-bounds lines.
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 25 July 2023
The hole, the 16th for members and a place where Open players have often used long irons in the past, will veer toward the right, by an extensive and expanded out-of-bounds area, for second shots.
—Jin Yu Young, New York Times, 19 July 2023
Ishbia, 43, earlier this year purchased the Phoenix Suns, an NBA team, and has recently been the focus of heavy media attention since a Denver Nuggets player shoved him during a playoff-series game on Sunday after Ishbia, who was sitting courtside, caught an out-of-bounds ball.
—Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 10 May 2023
Course obstacles include trees, bushes, terrain changes, water hazards and out-of-bounds zone, which results in a penalty throw.
—Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2023
Playing a provisional ball allows players to re-hit without having to walk back to the original spot of the ball if it is lost or out-of-bounds.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2023
Redirect the growth of out-of-bounds shoots and thin trees and shrubs as needed.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'out-of-bounds.' 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
1798, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near out-of-bounds
Cite this Entry
“Out-of-bounds.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/out-of-bounds. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
out-of-bounds
adverb or adjectiveˌau̇t-ə(v)-ˈbau̇n(d)z
: outside the limits of the playing area
the pass went out-of-bounds
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