outright

adverb

out·right | \ ˌau̇t-ˈrīt

Definition of outright

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 archaic : straight ahead : directly

2 : in entirety : completely rejected the proposal outright outright refuses to cooperate with law enforcement— Tim Murphy

3 : without restraint or reservation laughed outright cried outright

4 : on the spot : instantaneously was killed outright

5 : without lien (see lien sense 1) or encumbrance (see encumbrance sense 2) purchased the property outright for cash

outright

adjective

out·right | \ ˈau̇t-ˌrīt

Definition of outright (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : being completely or exactly what is stated an outright lie

b : given without reservation outright grants for research

c : made without encumbrance or lien an outright sale

2 archaic : proceeding directly onward

Other Words from outright Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about outright

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Examples of outright in a Sentence

Adverb

She won the competition outright. The painting is now owned outright by the museum. Their house was destroyed outright by the fire. I bought the car outright.

Adjective

I was surprised by their outright rejection of the idea.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

If no candidate wins outright in October, there would be a November runoff. — Washington Post, "Argentine election season begins with much-watched primaries," 9 Aug. 2019 The constitution used proxies for race to discriminate against black voters without saying so outright in its text. — Author: Margaret Newkirk, Erik Larson, Anchorage Daily News, "Battle brews to dump Jim Crow-era voting rules in deep South," 4 Aug. 2019 England have a slight home advantage, but need to win the series outright (a 2-2 tie would allow the visitors to retain the trophy). — M.j., The Economist, "The Ashes will feature the weakest pair of cricket teams in decades," 31 July 2019 Saraland’s goals start with winning 6A, Region 1 – something that didn’t happen outright a year ago even though the Spartans made a run to the championship game. — Ben Thomas | Bthomas@al.com, al.com, "Class 6A runner-up Saraland returns talented roster, looks to finish what it started in 2019," 22 July 2019 The ability to finance and insure the vans is a major step up for consumers; in the past, custom vans often had to be purchased outright and could be hard to cover with comprehensive insurance. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Buying a camper van just got easier with new website," 5 June 2019 On Monday, the group’s secretary-general, Mohammad Barkindo, upped the ante, declaring outright in a Reuters interview that the group wasn’t a cartel at all. — Spencer Jakab, WSJ, "‘Who, Us, a Cartel?’ Says Head of Oil Cartel," 11 Feb. 2019 Players who demonstrate a pattern of bad behavior will be suspended or banned outright. — Edward C. Baig, USA TODAY, "Gamers are often the victims of stalking, prejudice hate speech, study says," 25 July 2019 The committee's decision follows the European Union's decision in March not to ban Huawei outright, but instead to ask member countries to assess the risks to their 5G networks. — Klint Finley, WIRED, "That Global Ban on Huawei? Not So Much Anymore," 16 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Gausman, who faced the Reds on Friday, was placed on outright waivers by the Atlanta Braves. — Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati Reds claim pitcher Kevin Gausman off waivers from Atlanta Braves," 5 Aug. 2019 The reality is that a four-year college education has become incredibly expensive to pay for, either outright or through crushing student loans. — Michael Taylor, ExpressNews.com, "Free college programs a promise within the budget of many cities," 2 Aug. 2019 The ruling does not outright kill Two Bridges project. — Matthew Haag, New York Times, "Plan for Supertall Tower Looming Over Lower East Side Is Halted, for Now," 2 Aug. 2019 As noted by the Saudi newspaper Arab News, the decrees outlining changes to travel are written in gender-neutral language removing prior restrictions specific to women, rather than outright stating that women no longer need male consent. — NBC News, "Saudi Arabia law change allows women to travel without male consent," 2 Aug. 2019 Trans people who need abortions have to deal with a medical establishment that treats them with indifference at best and outright cruelty at worst. — Caitlin Van Horn, Allure, "Trans and Nonbinary People Get Abortions, Too," 30 July 2019 Over the weekend, the Tigers placed veteran Bobby Wilson on outright waivers, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation. — Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers appear close to promoting Jake Rogers to big leagues," 29 July 2019 The few that weren’t outright stolen had the ants and wasps in them. — Bonnie Blodgett, Twin Cities, "Blundering Gardener: A super hardy variety in a pear tree," 27 July 2019 Such is the reality The Boys reveals behind the idolatry: greed and grift and outright homicide, all the while preaching exceptionalism and sanctimony to the outside world. — Peter Rubin, WIRED, "Amazon's The Boys Tests the Limits of Superhero Fatigue," 26 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'outright.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.