all-in

1 of 2

adjective (1)

1
chiefly British : all-inclusive
2
chiefly British : being almost without restrictions
all-in wrestling

all in

2 of 2

adjective (2)

variants or less commonly all-in
1
: tired, exhausted
Atticus said as tactfully as he could that he just didn't think he could stand a pageant tonight, he was all in.Harper Lee
Inside, the invalid had gone to bed; her mother said, "She was all in," and expressed pity for her, for the first time.Edna O'Brien
2
: fully committed to or involved in something
The Diamondbacks are all-in for this year. It's why they brought in J. D. Martinez at the trade deadline. They have a healthy mix of young and veteran players, and they're looking to make a run this October.Kevin Skiver
often used in the phrase go all in
With my bonus in tow, I got the far-fetched idea I didn't feel like working that type of pace anymore. So I went all in on real estate on my own.Philip Michael

Note: In poker, to go all in is to bet everything on a hand.

The best my opponent could have at this point was a 5-high straight, so I went all in—my full $220,000 was riding on this hand. The last card was a Jack—and I was out.John Grochowski

Examples of all-in in a Sentence

Adjective (1) all-in seven-day tour of Scotland Adjective (2) was all in after an evening of dancing and partying
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
After a mediocre entry in 2023’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage—which began as Valhalla DLC and was developed by B-team Ubisoft Bordeaux—Shadows is an all-in, massive budget monstrosity led by the very Aist of teams. ArsTechnica, 18 Apr. 2025 Hathaway went all-in on an unexpected pair of trousers. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2025 Meanwhile Hussein, desperate to prove himself as an unthreatening American, goes all-in on assimilation. Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Apr. 2025 The moment was also a memorable part of TCU’s dramatic reversal in fortunes, catalyzed by donor investment, a shrewd hiring decision and an all-in approach to the transfer portal. Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for all-in

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of all-in was in 1886

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Cite this Entry

“All-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-in. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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