down-and-out 1 of 2

1
2

down-and-out

2 of 2

noun

variants or down-and-outer

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of down-and-out
Noun
Where to stay: The 65-year-old Beachside Hotel, which reopened in May after a multi-year renovation from a down-and-out motel into a retro-chic hotel, has 91 hotel rooms, a courtyard pool, and a new lobby, bar, and restaurant. Ryan Krogh, Outside Online, 3 June 2025 Having done just that, a down-and-out husband and his pregnant wife quickly realize that his folks don’t want them around, triggering a raucous power struggle that goes off the rails. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025 Having done just that, a down-and-out husband and his pregnant wife quickly realize that his folks don’t want them around, triggering a raucous power struggle that goes off the rails. Katcy Stephan, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025 Having done just that, a down-and-out husband and his pregnant wife quicklyrealize that his folks don’t want them around, triggering a raucous power struggle that goes offthe rails. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2025 He might be best known as the Minnesota-via-Brooklyn frontman of the Hold Steady, a punk bar-band wordsmith specializing in down-and-out tales with a Midwest flavor. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025 Black stars as the video game’s main character Steve and Momoa plays Garrett, a down-and-out 1980s video game champ stuck in the past. Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025 Ron Howard is proud of his kid brother Clint, who recently had a guest run on the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful as down-and-out musician Tom Starr. Lizzie Hyman, People.com, 5 Apr. 2025 The movie follows Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a down-and-out former revolutionary who is in desperate search for his missing daughter. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down-and-out
Adjective
  • And while the unemployment rate remains low, hiring has been weak, leaving those without jobs struggling to find new work.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 June 2025
  • Total textile and apparel exports declined from $44.4 billion in fiscal year 2022 to $35.8 billion in fiscal year 2024 (ending March 31), due to weak global demand and elevated production costs.
    Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • The impoverished duke needs Gladys' dowry to prop up his family's estate, and Bertha may have promised him a bit too much without informing George or taking Gladys' wishes into account.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 23 June 2025
  • Known collectively as Hessians, since most Germans hired by London to fight in America came from Hesse-Kassel, this contingent was largely from the small, impoverished duchy of Brunswick, whose ruling family had intermarried with the British royal family.
    / CBS News, CBS News, 13 June 2025
Noun
  • So that would be my biggest concern, is whether or not that financial gap between those that can afford it and those that can’t creates way too many haves and way too many have-nots.
    Mitch Light, New York Times, 16 June 2025
  • Among American art museums, there are haves and have-nots, with big-city, legacy galleries owning boatloads of great art--much of it in storage--and smaller, newer places in the provinces making do with nary a Renoir, Rothko, or Rembrandt.
    Christian Schneider, National Review, 12 June 2025
Adjective
  • Despite having a poor 2024 season that saw the Pirates remove Bednar from the closer role, the right-hander is back to his dominant form.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
  • The key drivers are BGE’s soaring spending and profits and poor management by PJM Interconnection, the private entity that operates our electric grid.
    Emily Scarr, Baltimore Sun, 29 June 2025
Adjective
  • Whether the result of drugs, alcohol or general hysteria, these terrifying men would enter trance-like states and charge into battle, ignoring severe injuries and collapsing into a feeble heap immediately after the fight concluded.
    Drew Gerber, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • Two hotels in the East Bay have tumbled into bankruptcy ahead of scheduled foreclosures, in a fresh sign that post-coronavirus maladies still afflict the feeble lodging markets in the Bay Area.
    George Avalos, Mercury News, 10 June 2025
Noun
  • Alvarez is the pauper of the group, with Judge and Soto combining for $1.125 billion in salary over the lives of their contracts.
    C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 16 May 2025
  • Chelsea are hardly paupers domestically — no Premier League team is nowadays — but there’s a clear financial advantage in finishing higher up the table.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • First, most previous studies looked at the general older population, including healthy or mildly ill people, whereas this study focused on frail, vulnerable individuals receiving home care who might be more functionally limited but also better connected to formal care systems.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 June 2025
  • Considering Dolton’s frail financial condition, House was asked by a reporter if delving into the real estate is a wise move.
    Mike Nolan, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • Extra hooks allow the bag to transform into a trapezoidal hobo shape.
    Joelle Diderich, WWD, 19 Sep. 2024
  • There’s a lot to love about Coach’s viral shoulder bag: the modern hobo style, the soft leather, the distinct shape.
    Lindy Segal, Glamour, 13 Sep. 2024

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Down-and-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down-and-out. Accessed 5 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!