: being such completely at all times, in every way, or from every point of view
an out-and-out fraud

Examples of out-and-out in a Sentence

an out-and-out cheater at every game she plays her story is not just an exaggeration, it's an out-and-out lie mounted an out-and-out effort to find the lost child
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.
The overall vibe is Scandinavian chic, if not out-and-out luxury. Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2024 Unsurprisingly, Europe’s elite players show up well by this measure with out-and-out central strikers like Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane taking relatively few touches per shot with high-value shots taken. Michael Cox, The Athletic, 25 Dec. 2024 Avoid arguments, spats, disagreements, squabbles, and out-and-out fights as much as possible. Eli Amdur, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024 Hsu had no problem playing an out-and-out villain for long stretches of that film, but her Ruby is more of an oblivious blabbermouth prone to shocking bouts of callousness, like failing to remember the names of people she’s inadvertently condemned to die. Alison Herman, Variety, 19 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for out-and-out 

Word History

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of out-and-out was in 1813

Dictionary Entries Near out-and-out

Cite this Entry

“Out-and-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/out-and-out. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

out-and-out

adjective
ˌau̇t-ᵊn-ˈ(d)au̇t
: being exactly what is stated : complete, thoroughgoing
an out-and-out crook

More from Merriam-Webster on out-and-out

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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