flat-out

1 of 2

adjective

1
: being or going at maximum effort or speed
2
: out-and-out, downright
it was a flat-out lie

flat out

2 of 2

adverb

1
: in a blunt and direct manner : openly
called flat out for revolutionNat'l Review
2
: at top speed or peak performance
the car does 180 m.p.h. flat out
3
usually flat-out : absolutely, downright
usually used as an intensive
is just flat-out confusing

Examples of flat-out in a Sentence

Adjective regarded their son-in-law as a flat-out loser and let him know it Adverb I told him flat out that I have no intention of marrying him. We asked for more time but they refused us flat out. The car does 180 mph flat out.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The best eyeshadow palettes present endless possibilities—not only for makeup looks ranging from subdued to sparkly and flat-out otherworldly, but for vibes. Jenny Berg, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2024 The only thing on this Irish band’s agenda that Tuesday evening was to flat-out rock. David Chiu, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Adverb
Others have suggested people can skirt taxes via the creation of an S-corp, while some have recommended flat out PPP loan fraud. Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 2 Sep. 2024 Trump is the perfect example of how support can be conjured by exaggeration or just flat out fabrications. Rafael Perez, Orange County Register, 19 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for flat-out 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flat-out.' 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

Adjective

1906, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1932, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flat-out was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near flat-out

Cite this Entry

“Flat-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flat-out. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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