1
: made with maximum effort : thoroughgoing
an all-out effort to win the contest
: with full determination or enthusiasm : with maximum effort
—used chiefly in the phrase go all out
Synonyms
Adjective
- absolute
- 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
- out-and-out
- outright
- perfect
- plumb
- profound
- pure
- rank
- regular
- sheer
- simple
- stark
- stone
- straight-out
- thorough
- thoroughgoing
- total
- unadulterated
- unalloyed
- unconditional
- unmitigated
- unqualified
- utter
- very
Adverb
Examples of all-out in a Sentence
Adjective
Grandpa got the all-out support of the family when he decided to remarry at age 72
an all-out effort to break open the door
Adverb
went all out for her New Year's Eve party—she even had fireworks!
Recent Examples on the Web
Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
The Canadian driver crashed at Turn 4, leading to all-out chaos.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Larry Magid, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
Rounding it all out are the alluring grounds, which span nearly a quarter-acre and come with plenty of spots for alfresco lounging and entertaining while overlooking picturesque views of the Getty Museum, Capitol Records tower, and the downtown L.A. skyline.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for all-out 
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Adjective
Any North Korean attack, even on a limited scale, would trigger South Korean retaliation, and could spiral into all-out war.
—Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
The Canadian driver crashed at Turn 4, leading to all-out chaos.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Adverb
Google is going all out with AI in its new Pixel 9 phones.
—Larry Magid, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
Rounding it all out are the alluring grounds, which span nearly a quarter-acre and come with plenty of spots for alfresco lounging and entertaining while overlooking picturesque views of the Getty Museum, Capitol Records tower, and the downtown L.A. skyline.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for all-out
Dictionary Entries Near all-out
Cite this Entry
“All-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-out. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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