all-out

1 of 2

adjective

ˈȯl-ˈau̇t How to pronounce all-out (audio)
Synonyms of all-outnext
1
: made with maximum effort : thoroughgoing
an all-out effort to win the contest
2
: full-blown sense 2

all out

2 of 2

adverb

: with full determination or enthusiasm : with maximum effort
—used chiefly in the phrase go all out

Synonyms of all-out

Relevance

Adjective

Adverb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
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
Nathan overhears a snippet of this exchange, which convinces him that Joe is engaged in an all-out smear campaign against him. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026 Sudan plunged into all-out war in April 2023 as fighting erupted between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese military. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Adverb
Nabil and Sliman laughed at how the leather soon stank before Nabil could figure it all out. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Smith left little trace on the scorecard as England moved to 409 all out, looking relatively becalmed for a 52-ball stay largely played alongside the tail. — Ben Jones, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for all-out

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1893, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of all-out was in 1840

Rhymes for all-out

See All Rhymes for all-out

Browse Nearby Words

allotype
all-out
all out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“All-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-out. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

all-out

1 of 2 adjective
ˈȯ-ˈlau̇t
: made with maximum effort : extreme
an all-out attempt to finish on time

all out

2 of 2 adverb
: with maximum effort
went all out to win
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All