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out-and-out
adjective
: being such completely at all times, in every way, or from every point of view
an out-and-out fraud
Synonyms
- absolute
- all-out
- 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
- outright
- perfect
- plumb
- profound
- pure
- rank
- regular
- sheer
- simple
- stark
- stone
- straight-out
- thorough
- thoroughgoing
- total
- unadulterated
- unalloyed
- unconditional
- unmitigated
- unqualified
- utter
- very
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
The same could be said of Barcelona’s Dani Olmo, who operates best when ghosting into space behind the opposition midfield and releasing runners ahead of him rather than an out-and-out forward who can play on the last line.
—Mark Carey, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Untold Murders never out-and-out blames football for the murders committed by Hernandez, Brutcher, and Ryng, but the implications are hard to miss.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2025
Hard to find, elite out-and-out strikers are expensive commodities.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
The overall vibe is Scandinavian chic, if not out-and-out luxury.
—Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1813, in the meaning defined above
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 20 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
out-and-out
adjectiveˌau̇t-ᵊn-ˈ(d)au̇t
: being exactly what is stated : complete, thoroughgoing
an out-and-out crook
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