all-out
using all one's resources; complete; total: an all-out effort.
Origin of all-out
1Other words for all-out
Words Nearby all-out
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use all-out in a sentence
This led to the formation of a Christian militant group to counter the rebels, and all-out sectarian violence exploded.
In that context, Sotto Sotto was one of the all-out survivors.
The Fiery Death of Sotto Sotto, Toronto’s Celebrity Hotspot | Shinan Govani | December 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTNone, however, have been as all-out cute as this one, a shot-for-shot remake of the teaser with dogs and cats.
'Star Wars' Goes to the Dogs (and Cats) | Alex Chancey, The Daily Beast Video | December 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn June, Pakistan launched an all-out military offensive in the region, ostensibly to evict all the militants from the area.
Obama’s Deadly Informants: The Drone Spotters of Pakistan | Umar Farooq, Syed Fakhar Kakakhel | November 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTCould it be that after holding on to very relative stability during three years of regional tumult, Lebanon now faced all-out war?
Beirut Letter: In Lebanon, Fighting ISIS With Culture and Satire | Kim Ghattas | September 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He knew that today, and for years before, nobody had dared start an all-out atomic war.
The Edge of the Knife | Henry Beam PiperSomething as if all-out-doors were cramped and small, and it were better to return to the freedom and amplitude of the interior?
Suburban Sketches | William Dean HowellsOnce a war started, no nation could resist the temptation to go all-out.
This Crowded Earth | Robert BlochIm going to stick around until the all-out alarm is sounded.
Joan of the Journal | Helen Diehl OldsMitch, who wanted to quit an all-out war, reached for the fusing switch.
Way of a Rebel | Walter M. Miller
British Dictionary definitions for all-out
/ informal /
using one's maximum powers: an all-out effort
to one's maximum effort or capacity: he went all out on the home stretch
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with all-out
With all one's strength, ability, or resources; not holding back. For example, They are going all out to make the fund-raiser a success. This seemingly modern term dates from about 1300, when it meant “completely” or “wholly.” It now refers to making a great effort and is also used adjectivally, as in an all-out effort. This usage became current in America in the late 1800s, with reference to races and other kinds of athletic exertion. In the mid-1900s it gave rise to the phrase to go all out and was transferred to just about any energetic undertaking. Also see go whole hog.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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