the pants off

phrase

informal
—used for emphasis after words like charm, scare, frighten, bore, and beat
He can charm the pants off anybody.
She scared the pants off us when she phoned at 3 a.m.

Examples of the pants off in a Sentence

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.
True entertainers can charm the pants off even the toughest of critics. — Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 27 Aug. 2026 Who would believe that a Dodge Durango could beat the pants off almost every Ferrari ever built? — Tony Leopardo, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2026 The dough then requires time to ferment, building acids slowly, developing character and depth that beat the pants off of quick-rising breads. — Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026 Well, there goes Dylan Efron, charming the pants off of everyone again. — Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for the pants off

Rhymes for the pants off

See All Rhymes for the pants off

Browse Nearby Words

the pampas
the pants off
the papacy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The pants off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20pants%20off. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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